


A Sidhe Twilight

by magicianparrish



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe-Fairies, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, Irish Mythology - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-20 21:44:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 44,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14270184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicianparrish/pseuds/magicianparrish
Summary: The Greywaren. The legendary ruler of Cabeswater. No one knows what he looks like, or how he acts. He is just as mysterious as the kingdom he sovereigns. It would be quite something, to try and meet the neighbors of his kingdom.“No one has seen the Greywaren in generations,” Gansey commented.Henry smiled over at Gansey. “Then how would that look to your people if you were able to make the impossible...possible?” he proposed.Gansey did always like impossible things. He had a knack for finding things that would’ve been otherwise hidden. It was a gift graced to him, he supposed. It was a temptation to go looking into the realm of the fae. Whether it was unfortunate or not, Gansey always had a streak of adventure.____________________________________________________________Or an au where Gansey is the Prince to a kingdom, and he and his friends try to make an alliance to the mysterious Cabeswater, the kingdom of the faeries. And in which Adam and Ronan are the leaders of Cabeswater.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't know what this really is, but the idea came to me last night, and for the past 24 hours I've managed to get out 8,000 words of this stuff. I also really like the idea of faeries, so this was born. 
> 
> The title was inspired by William Butler Yeats, one of the most famous Irish poets, who also loved to write about faeries. Sidhe is just another word for faerie in Irish. And the title was inspired by "The Celtic Twilight" written by him. 
> 
> I don't know when another part will be up, so this is all you have for the time being. Hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> This was not beta'd or edited, so all mistakes are mine!

Gansey glanced around his advisers in the war chamber. In the dim glow of the torch lights, the shadows elongated all the shadows on their faces. They had been in there for hours, mulling over the news the messenger from Vulpea. 

Word that the ley line that ran through Gansey’s kingdom was slowly being compromised. He knew it had started, the energy that emanated from it allowed the prosperity of Cardiff to stretch through generations of rulers. It allowed crops to grow bountiful every season without the soil dying. It served as a barrier to the kingdom, and the neighboring ones that surrounded it. The pulsating energy kept enemies away. And now it was failing. 

Gansey was the de-jure leader of the kingdom. His father, the King, was still alive, but as the only son to the line, and having come of age, he led most of the decisions. He bowed his head and let out a sigh. 

“What do you think could be causing this disruption?” he asked. 

One of his father’s close advisers stepped up. The dark dyes of his regal clothes blended in the shadows. He bowed his head before speaking. 

“I know it is wrong to presume, but Colin of Grennia may be behind this. Our scouts have been hearing whispers about him for months now.” 

Gansey cocked his head to the side a little. That was a peculiar statement. He looked towards Noah, one of the scouts and a close friend. The pale blonde took his cue and stood up straight. 

“Noah, is this true? Have you heard these whispers?” 

He nodded his head. His light colors seem bright in the darkness. “Yes, your highness. It is true.” 

Gansey let out another sigh and looked out to the rest of his council. He put his hands behind his back clutching his wrist tightly. “Then why has nobody bothered to share this information with me prior to now?” he softly demanded. 

“We did not think it was anything more than merchant gossip, your highness. But this troubling news from Vulpea, makes it seem more,” his father’s adviser continued. 

He let the thought seep into his mind for a few moments. He ran it over and over again. Another sigh was let out through his lips and he closed his eyes for a moment. 

“What do you suggest we do then?” 

He looked at all the advisers turning to each other. Hushed voices entangling with one another into a soft symphony. Finally, a throat cleared. 

“We can send our scouts undercover into Grennia. See if they can find out if it is Colin who is draining the ley line.” 

“Have one of princess Blue’s family go out to see if they can figure out how it’s happening perhaps. The message did come from Vulpea,” another added. 

“I think, we may need a more magical solution,” Henry piped. 

Gansey was intrigued. He gestured for his companion to continue. The lavishly dressed man took a step forward. “We may be having a situation on our hands. Cardiff and its allies have relied on this ley line for generations. If our source of prosperity is being drained, then that means hardship is to follow.” 

Gansey’s stomach turned at the very idea of a disaster to come. He couldn’t imagine what would happen in famine came to his kingdom. How much his people would suffer. 

“What is this magical solution you propose, Henry?” Gansey inquired. 

“Cabeswater,” was all he said. 

At once whispers erupted in the chamber. The very idea of the legendary kingdom seemed preposterous. No one who had tried to find it ever came back the same. That was the fae territory. Humans were not permitted to enter unless they intended to stay forever. 

Gansey held his hand up in a gesture of silence. “You want to send ambassadors to try and find the kingdom that doesn’t wish to be found?” 

Gansey knew Henry could hear the doubt in his voice. But that was only because he was in front of all his advisors. In reality, the idea fascinated him. Mythology always had a place in his heart, even in his adult life. 

“Perhaps, your highness. I mean, according to legend, Cabeswater also relies on the energy of the ley line.” 

“I shall take all of these into further consideration. You are all dismissed.” 

All the men shuffled out the doors of the chamber. Henry and Noah stayed behind. Once they were alone, Noah shut the doors from behind to give them a moment of privacy. Gansey’s shoulders dropped as he lit some more candles in the dim room. He took a seat and leaned back. Henry and Noah followed. 

“I really do not miss these stuffy meetings,” Noah said stretching his arms over his head. 

Henry smiled, looking much more composed than Noah. Gansey let out a chuckle as well. He much prefers the company of his close friends. He rubbed a hand over his face and combed it through his hair. 

“Yes they are a necessary evil, I suppose. Truly being a prince isn’t as nice as books make it out to be.” 

This earned a laugh from both his friends. “Oh yes, it must very hard not toiling the fields in the sun until you die,” Noah quipped. 

Gansey rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Now you sound like Jane when you say things like that.” 

“Blue Bird has been keeping you on the ground, Gansey-man. She truly was a good match for you,” Henry adds. 

Gansey nods. “That is something we all can agree on.” 

Gansey was thankful for his wife every day.His parents had seen the value of forming an alliance with the women who ruled Vulpea. They were known for their connection to the energies surrounding the ley line. And in the past generations helped rulers of Cardiff to make peace and bring prosperity to both cities. 

Blue had been abhorrent about the idea at first. She couldn’t stand him, and he couldn’t understand why. But Blue, who was ever so rational saw the payoffs an alliance would make between the two of them and allowed her mother, the leader of the trio of queens to set them up. 

“Henry, would you care to elaborate on the idea you put forth in tonight’s meeting for me?” Gansey prodded. 

Henry had a knowing smile on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. Now that they were in the privacy of each other, he didn’t have to hold back his idea. He could fancy all the ideas he wanted. 

“Well, I there isn’t much more I can say. But I do believe trying to make an alliance with Cabeswater will be necessary in the times to come.” 

“But every man who has gone in search has not been the same when they returned. There are many risks when dealing with their kind,” Gansey rebutted. 

Henry leaned forward in his chair. “Yes, that may be true. But, those men were out in search of the unknown. We have a purpose, which could make all the difference.” 

“What is it you are suggesting, Henry?” Noah asked. He was resting his face in his palm against the long table. 

“That we go and find the Greywaren. We try to broker an alliance with him.” 

The Greywaren. The legendary ruler of Cabeswater. No one knows what he looks like, or how he acts. He is just as mysterious as the kingdom he sovereigns. It would be quite something, to try and meet the neighbors of his kingdom. 

“No one has seen the Greywaren in generations,” Gansey commented. 

Henry smiled over at Gansey. “Then how would that look to your people if you were able to make the impossible...possible?” he proposed. 

Gansey did always like impossible things. He had a knack for finding things that would’ve been otherwise hidden. It was a gift graced to him, he supposed. It was a temptation to go looking into the realm of the fae. Whether it was unfortunate or not, Gansey always had a streak of adventure. 

“We leave at sunrise. Meet at the stables,” he said. 

Noah and Henry grinned at Gansey as he stood up and walked out of the war chamber. 

 

* * *

 

 

The chill of night still kept hold in the dawn. Dew covered the grass leading out towards the stables. The sun had not yet risen to give light to a new day but was instead just peaking right above the horizon turning the sky from an inky black to a royal blue, speckled with stars in abundance. Dawn was a magnificent time, in Gansey’s opinion. 

He and Blue had walked together in a comfortable silence to the stables. He had caught her up on the happenings between him, Noah and Henry. Blue would not be bothered to join in on council meetings, even though she was welcomed. Like Gansey, Blue had an eagerness for adventure, though she hid it well. 

They both walked into the stables. Gansey quietly lit a lantern to guide the way in the darkness. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft breathing from the horses and the crunching of hay under his foot. He made his way to where his steed was. 

“Hey Camaro,” he whispered. 

In the dim light of the lantern, he saw his mare’s eyes slowly blink open. Her sorrel coat glimmering in the warm glow. She let out a huff and walked up to allow Gansey to put her snout. He gave a quick kiss before hanging the lantern on a hook. He fed her and gave her water, which she took gratefully. Then saddled her up and swung himself up on top of her. 

When he walked out of the stables he saw Blue was already on her mare. The pinto casually grazing the grass. Noah and Henry showed up a few minutes later. They both gave mocking bows towards the two of them, causing Blue to scoff and roll her eyes. By the time they had all mounted their horses, the sun's rays were coming up to the sky, dissolving the stars in its wake. 

It took some time to get towards the forest that supposedly led to Cabeswater. The morning dew had all but vanished, leaving the heat of late summer in its full glory. When they all came to the edge of the forest, Gansey couldn’t help but be amazed by the sheer beauty of it. Even so close to his own borders, he had been warned to never go near it. Only people with a death wish went inside. The forest was a cautionary tale told to children to not misbehave. A story his own parents and governesses had told him and his sister as children.

The trees towered towards the blue sky. The trunks the thickest he’d ever seen. These trees were strong, and they were ancient. Gansey could feel the energy of the ley line coming from this place. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. In the pit of his stomach he felt a twist; the same he would feel when he found a new lead in a search. It built excitement inside of him. 

He glanced at his closest friends. “Excelsior.” 

He flicked the reins of Camaro who then trotted inside the canopy. 

Immediately the sun seemed to vanish underneath the trees. It was only sprinkled in through leaves, dropping the temperature from the hotness of summer to a cool and comfortable one. It was a welcome change to Gansey, who was sweating even underneath his light tunic and cape. 

“I don’t understand why people are so afraid of this place. It’s stunning,” Noah breathed out. 

He walked his white steed over to a patch of cerulean hydrangeas and picked one off the bush. He brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply with his eyes closed. Then he gave it to Blue and winked at her. Gansey smiled as Blue rolled her eyes, but a blush formed on her cheeks. 

Henry kept glancing back every couple of minutes. It was subtle, but Gansey picked up on it. 

“Sometimes danger likes to disguise itself as beauty,” he said. 

They kept trotting along. When Gansey saw Henry turn his head back again, he decided to mention it. 

“Henry, are you all right?” he asked. 

Henry seemed startled by the question. His eyes widened for a fraction before he put a smile on his face and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.” 

“You keep glancing back every few minutes,” he pushed. 

They looked at each other for a few good moments. The only sounds were the clopping of hooves on the dirt and the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. Henry let out a sigh, looking down at his lap. 

“I just have a bad feeling about this place. It seems...off,” he admitted. 

“Well, we are trying to find the mysterious kingdom of the fae. That’s probably it,” Blue said, reasonable as ever. 

Henry nodded and gave a grateful smile to her. “Yes, I do suppose that must be it. I’m just feeling more paranoid than usual.” 

They continued. Gansey now felt more awake than he had earlier. Henry’s words slowly seeping into his thoughts. He kept his eyes sharp, eyeing for anything unusual. It seemed too quiet in the forest. 

“Did you notice how there seem to be no animals here?” Gansey finally said, breaking the silence.

“What do you mean?” Noah replied. 

Gansey didn’t reply for a moment. He was listening to see if there were any indications of life outside the horses. 

“Isn’t it true that in a place such as this, there would be the sounds of animals? Birds chirping, you know stuff like that? It’s completely silent minus the breeze and even that is quiet.” 

All of them were silent, listening. “Well, this forest just gets better every second we’re here,” Blue finally said. 

Suddenly a sound caught Gansey’s ear. He whipped his head towards it, eyes scanning the forest for anything. 

“Did you hear that?” he asked. 

“Hear what?” Noah said. 

He could’ve sworn he heard the rustling of bushes. It was a fleeting sound, almost caught by the breeze. Then there was silence again. 

He shook his head. “The heat must be getting to my head. We should continue forward.” 

Camaro walked. And they walked more. And more. And more. Deeper and deeper into the woods. The energy was becoming more off-putting the further they got. But Gansey didn’t come this far only to go back. 

The rustling of bushes came again. It was louder this time. It caught the attention of all of them. Gansey stopped his horse to glance around. There was nothing in sight but the trees. A crack of twigs came. Camaro started to get antsy. 

“Now I heard that,” Henry said in a hushed voice. 

When Gansey turned forward he nearly fell off his horse. Camaro bucked and let out a loud whine. The other horses followed suit. In front of them was a little girl. She had pale hair that was wispy. All she wore was a light dress and her irises were black as pits. Gansey glanced a look, and noticed where her legs should’ve been, were instead covered in fur and hooves. She was a little satyr.  

The girl didn’t say anything for a moment, but she let out an ear piercing scream before scampering back through the bushes. Gansey blinked and all his friends were off their horses. And then a gust of wind knocked Gansey off his. The air was pushed out of his lungs, leaving him breathless. The horses were crying loudly from being startled. 

Then something covered his nose and mouth, and everything went dark. 

 

* * *

 

 

When Gansey came to, everything was blurry. It felt like his brain was pounding up against his skull. He pushed his hands to his eyes trying to dispel it, and let out a groan. When he was finally able to get is bearings again, he pushed himself upright to see where he was. 

He blinked a few times, to see he was in some kind of cell. He stood up on shaky legs and put a hand on one of the walls to lean on it. 

The cell was earthy. Vines crept up the walls, which felt like bark on a tree. But when his hand came away, it was covered with a veneer of dirt. The bars of the cell door was thick branches of trees. Gansey walked over and tried his luck of pulling it, but it remained steady. He leaned his head against them to try and get a look outside. 

It seemed to be some kind of catacomb tunnels. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. 

“Hello? Is anyone out there?” he called out. 

His voice echoed. But he got no response. 

Gansey had the thought suddenly of his friends. Panic seized his chest and breath. His hands gripped the tree bars harder until his knuckles turned white and strained at his skin. He shook them again to no avail. 

“Blue! Henry! Noah! Are you in here?” he shouted. His voice echoed again and was met with silence. 

He fell to his knees, still holding the bars. He prayed they were alright and nothing horrible happened to them. He didn’t remember much of the ambush. It had happened too fast for him to fully process it. 

Gansey leaned his head against the bars. The bark digging into his forehead. He inhaled deeply. 

“I am Prince Richard of Cardiff. You have ambushed me, my friends and my wife, Princess Blue of Vulpea. We demand you let us all go in peace,” he announced. “We are here to broker an alliance with the Greywaren. Please let us have an audience.” 

Gansey wondered if he was just preaching to an invisible audience. It didn’t seem like anyone else was down here with him anyway. But he had to try. Once again, he was met with silence. 

Gansey crawled away from the bars and saw there was a single cot in the corner of the cell. He sat down on it. Surprised to see that the blanket that covered it was made of out moss. It was soft to the touch. He lifted it up, and realized underneath the moss covering, was a fine quilt. The pillow was made out of a deerskin. He laid down and to his surprise felt the comfort of it. 

He closed his eyes and fell into a slumber. 

He was woken up suddenly by the sound of something shifting. When he rubbed his eyes, he felt them irritate by the contacts he had put in and fallen asleep in. When his eyes adjusted he saw that the branches of the bars had disappeared and inside was a man. 

He was menacing. He was dressed in a dark green tunic that was sleeveless. His hair was cropped close to his head, and he had a menacing dark tattoo that curled around his neck and shoulders. His blue eyes were piercing. He was glaring at Gansey, and his lips were firmly pressed shut in a scowl. Gansey stood up and brushed off his tunic to look more presentable. 

“Are you here to take me to the Greywaren?” he asked the man. 

He didn’t say anything, but briskly turned and stalked out the cell. Gansey followed him. When he stepped out, he saw the branches come out from the ground and form the bars again. His eyes widened in awe. He jogged to catch up with the man. 

“That was some marvelous magic I just saw.” 

The man stayed silent. They kept walking through the labyrinthine catacombs of whatever place this was. 

“Where are my friends? Are they all right?” he demanded finally. 

This time he was rewarded with a grunt. Gansey didn’t know if that was an affirmative, but it was better than silence. Gansey observed all the places they passed with an astute eye. He wanted to take it all in. 

He had no doubt that he had made it to Cabeswater. Finally, they walked up to large wood doors that were intricately carved with twists and animals. The menacing man pulled out a large ring of keys and flicked through them until he found the one he wanted and put into the lock. He heard the click of the lock and the doors slowly creaked open revealing a beautiful throne room. 

In the middle was the throne, carved out of a tree stump. It was lined with gold, and flowers of all kind. Gansey could hear the flow of fresh water in the background. Grass, the most vibrate he’d ever seen was on either side of the cobblestone path that led to the throne. Sunlight filled the room, even though it shouldn’t have been possible. Behind the throne were the same ancient trees that he had immersed himself in. 

The man walked up the path and stood behind the throne, his posture straight and his hands behind his back. He was still glowering, his eyes like ice. Another door opened, grabbing Gansey’s attention. A tall man walked through the doors and sat on the throne. 

He was stunning. 

His skin was bronzed, and from this close, he could see the splatter of freckles that covered his face. His eyes were a deep blue, and wide set. His hair shone like gold underneath a crown of blue roses. He looked exactly like the type of man who would rule this fae world. He was otherworldly. 

Gansey got down on his knee and bowed in respect to the Greywaren. He placed his right arm over his chest. When he looked up, he saw the Greywaren looking on with narrowed eyes. 

“Your majesty. I am Prince Richard of Cardiff,” he declared. 

“I know who you are,” the man responded. His voice was deep and elongated the words like honey. Gansey was awed. 

It was silent for a minute. He snuck a glance at the man standing behind the Greywaren. He must be his second. He was stone and was glaring at Gansey. He heard a loud  _ KERAH!  _ And a large raven flew from one of the branches of trees and onto the man’s shoulder. Gansey cleared his throat. He had to ask about his friends and wife again. 

“Your majesty, I must inquire about the friends and my wife who accompanied me on this journey. Do you know where they are, and if they are all right?” 

A beautiful white stag came from behind the throne. The Greywaren held it’s hand out and gently pet the fur on it. Gansey had never seen anything like this place. It was no wonder it was the stuff of legends. 

“They are not harmed, if that is what you are asking, Prince,” the Greywaren responded. 

Gansey felt a surge of relief hit his body. He let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. 

“May I see them?” 

The Greywaren tilted his head. His golden hair brushing over his forehead. He pursed his lips. 

“You are not in the position to be asking for such demands, your highness.” 

“Please, it would put my mind and heart at ease if I could see them here,” he pleaded. 

After a moment, the Greywaren turned towards the other man. He didn’t say anything but nodded. Then he left the throne room to go get them. Gansey bowed his head in gratitude. 

“Thank you, your majesty.” 

They stayed in silence until the tall man came back through the doors. Behind them were his friends. They didn’t look harmed, just dirty. Which Gansey no doubt looked as well. When Blue saw him she let out a gasp and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Gansey followed, leaning his head down to the crook of her neck, breathing her in. 

“Thank God you’re all right,” he whispered. 

They released each other from their grips, and Gansey went over and hugged Noah and Henry as well. They all seemed ecstatic to see each other not harmed. After their reunion, the clearing of a throat got their attention. 

His companions seemed to notice the Greywaren for the first time. Their eyes all widened in awe of the man, just as Gansey had. The Greywaren’s blue eyes looked into Gansey’s. 

“My tongue did not lie to you, Prince of Cardiff,” he said calmly. 

“Of course not, your majesty. It just puts my mind at rest knowing that they are here with me at the moment.” 

The gaze of the Greywaren was cool, as he shifted his attention from Gansey towards his friends and wife. He lifted his arm with his palm up at them. He tipped his head to the side. 

“And who must you be, companions of the Prince?” he softly demanded. 

Blue kneeled before the Greywaren out of respect of the sovereign. Her brown eyes held a skepticism in it. 

“We do not speak our names to the Fae,” she said. “For names are of importance to the soul.” 

The Greywaren simply arched an eyebrow and pursed his lips. He looked to be deep in thought. Gansey was still awed by the placid demeanor of the fae king. It was not what he imagined. 

“That they are, Princess of Vulpea,” the Greywaren cordially agreed. 

Blue’s eyes widened in shock. Her mouth opened up and closed before Gansey saw her body language turn hostile. He quickly walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He leaned into her ear. 

“Do not bring your fire in front of the leader of the Fae, Blue. We are here on the terms of peace.” 

Blue turned around the fire in her eyes. But once she saw Gansey’s sincerity, she let out a sigh, but still scrutinized the Greywaren, and his second. 

The Greywaren dropped the subject of names, knowing he would not be getting them out of them. Gansey quietly berated himself for such sheer stupidity on his part. Of course, you don’t announce your name to fae! That is how they get you. For someone who had done so much reading into their ways, he did not put it into practice when the time had come. 

“Speak your reason, Richard of Cardiff,” the Greywaren demanded. 

Blue turned towards him with worry in her eyes. Gansey gave a small smile of reassurance. He was not afraid of the Greywaren. He took a step forward. 

“We come to offer a deal of alliance between our kingdoms.” 

The Greywaren did not seem impressed. The white stag had walked away from his gentle hand and instead had been replaced by the raven that had flown onto his second’s shoulder before. 

“What could your kingdom give to mine, that we do not already have?” he scoffed. 

It was a question that backed Gansey into a corner. Cardiff was powerful, but it was nothing to hold to against a magical kingdom. But he was good at diplomacy and finding unusual routes to answers he sought. 

“Cardiff may not have any material possessions that would be needed by your kingdom. But we may yet have a common enemy.” 

The trees in the background suddenly started to make noise. The rustling of leaves and a breeze flitted through the room. The water that had been steadily running white noise stopped. The Greywaren leaned forward in his throne. 

“A common enemy makes for a weak alliance,” he declared. “It serves the short term. Once the enemy is gone, it will not mean you will not be above attacking us as well.” 

Gansey nearly balked at the implication. The very idea of going against an ally seemed preposterous. But as the words settled, he realized the logic in it. He bowed his head and let out a soft sigh. 

“Your hesitations are quite reasonable, your majesty. But I swear on my honor, that we come here in good will.” 

“Mortal honor is nothing to stake a promise on,” he rebutted. 

“I know mortals may have wronged your kingdom in the past. But I come for sincere purposes.” 

The Greywaren lifted his chin. Then he turned his gaze to his friends. It was like he was seeing into their souls. 

“I sense the hesitancy to trust us. I am sure you are aware that trust can go a long way in an alliance of any kind. Those who do not possess it, are doomed to fail.” 

He turned to look back at Gansey. There was a challenge issued in his words. Gansey could feel it. 

“Stay for dinner,” he invited. 

They stared off at each other. There was a tense silence between everyone. 

“It would be our honor, your majesty.” 

The Greywaren nodded his head in acceptance. “Someone will come fetch you when it is time. Please, follow my second back to your chambers.” 

The second moved forward. He spared a fleeting glance over at the Greywaren before pushing past all of them back towards the large wooden doors that had led Gansey here. They all followed.     

 

* * *

 

By some mercy, the second put them all in the same cell. This one was much larger than the one Gansey had woken up in. Once they were all inside, the magical tree bars emerged from the ground to keep them trapped until they were requested again.

Gansey walked over to a cot that was on the side of the room and sat down. He leaned back against the dirt wall and pushed his knees up. Blue came and sat next to him. Henry and Noah stood standing in front of them. 

“The Greywaren was not how I imagined him being,” Henry commented. 

He grabbed a chair that seemed to be woven out of branches and sat himself down. Noah followed suit. 

“What was the image you had conjured up of the king of the fae?” Blue wondered arching an eyebrow and smirking at him. 

Henry shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. You hear all these stories of the fae. They’re mischievous, spritely, arrogant. I guess, I imagined him to be more impish looking. Perhaps a boy king. He was very tranquil in how he spoke and held himself.” 

Gansey nodded in agreement. He turned to face Blue, who had her eyebrows furrowed together. 

“What are you thinking, Blue?” Gansey asked. 

She let out a hum before answering. “The king gave off an interesting energy.” 

Blue, the daughter of one of the psychic rulers of Vulpea, was the only non-psychic in her family. She could not tell the future or see the paths that her mother and aunts can. But she was raised by them and can amplify energies and occasionally if it is strong enough, read them. If she sensed something about the king, it would be important. 

“How so?” he prompted. 

She shook her head. “It’s hard to explain. But, his energy felt different. Especially compared to the man who stood behind him. There is something off about the king. Like he belonged here, but it did not come naturally.” 

“That is quite the observation.” 

Gansey watched Noah nod his head in agreement. His gray eyes were staring at a place far away, and he was deeply pondering something as well. 

“The king looked familiar. I have seen his face before,” Noah said. 

“How can you be so sure of that?” Henry rebutted. 

“I just know it. I saw him during my reconnaissance in Columbia. It was during the Spring Festival gala at the palace. He was close to Prince Declan. Stayed in the shadows. I found the act suspicious and thought him to be an assassin, so I shadowed him from afar. Didn’t participate in any of the dances. He caught me halfway through the night. I would know that face anywhere.” 

During his tale, Noah had stood up to start pacing back and forth. Noah was one of the scouts Cardiff sends out to observe their neighbors for any suspicious activity. He turned to them, a determined expression set in his face.  

“No king of Cabeswater would be spying on other rulers,” he declared. “This Greywaren is a ruse of some kind. This must be a trap.” 

 

* * *

 

Ronan gently wrapped his arms around the speckled shoulders that belonged to Adam. They were both lying in their bed together, the soft sheets covering their lower bodies. Adam’s tan skin shifted as he turned his body to face Ronan’s.

His blue eyes were heavy-lidded as he looked into Ronan’s. Ronan this close could count every individual freckle that covered the bridge of his crooked nose and onto his high cheekbones. He leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to his lips, which Adam happily returned with a soft smile. 

Both their bodies were emanating heat from them. Ronan leaned down and nudged his face in the crook of Adam’s neck, inhaling the wonderful scent that clung to him. He felt Adam bow his head into Ronan’s as well.  

“You have a flair for the dramatics that you’ve been hiding from me,” Ronan commented. 

He felt Adam’s breath brush against his skin as he let out a chuckle. He buried his face deeper into Ronan. 

“Well, I didn’t realize I had that skill either. We’ve never had to use it before they showed up,” he responded. 

Ronan lifted his head and adjusted himself so he was sitting up against the back of the bed. Adam leaned his weight on his elbow and his head in his palm. His golden hair mussed up. Ronan looked at his lover, barely withholding his complete affection for him. 

“You’d make a far better Greywaren than me.” 

Adam sighed. “You pride yourself on the love of Veritas, and yet lies like this come from your mouth,” he said in his most poetic voice. “You are the best Greywaren Cabeswater has had in generations. I am merely your aide-de-camp.” 

Ronan ran a hand through Adam’s hair. It was softer than even the finest silk. “And now lies come from yours as well. You are much more than that, and we both know it. You, Adam, are the Magician to Cabeswater. Its protector. It was you who felt the energy of the forest when the strangers came into our territory. And it was you who brought them forth.” 

Adam’s lips formed a small smile as he sat up next to Ronan. The beautiful sheets barely covering his hip bones. They sat shoulder to shoulder. “Don’t forget to mention Opal. She was there too.” 

“Yes, the little urchin helped too,” Ronan conceded with fake annoyance. 

“Do you believe the words that came out of the Prince’s mouth?” Adam asked gently. 

Ronan pondered it for a moment. During the meeting, the strangers had barely spared him a glance. All their eyes were on Adam, who sat on the throne like he was born to do so. Who commanded their attention with his strong voice, and calm demeanor. Ronan would go to war for him if the roles were truly reversed and he was merely a citizen of Cabeswater instead of its ruler. 

“I did not detect malicious intent in his words. And he willingly gave up his name knowing the dangers,” Ronan finally said. 

Adam scoffed. “Either he is entirely foolish, or completely ignorant. But he had a fire streak in his eyes towards the end. Not something that happens with mortals too often.”

Ronan nodded. “I saw that too. The Princess as well.” 

“I only worry about the blonde man they had with them,” Adam said. 

Ronan turned his head towards him. “Why is that?” 

“I have seen his face before. At the Spring gala at your brother’s palace. He was there. I remember him, but I do not wish for him to remember me.” 

“I doubt he will remember you. You were just another face among the sea of people there.” 

It had been a few hours since Ronan led the visitors to their chambers. Dinnertime was coming closer now. He stood up and walked to across the room to clean up. Adam followed him. Ronan raided the closet they shared and picked out the nicest outfit for Adam. He smirked at him. 

“You must give your best to our visitors who were gracious enough to accept your challenge,” he teased. 

The outfit was tacky, and way out of Adam’s own tastes for fashion. And it showed when his face scrunched up in displeasure. He glared at Ronan. Ronan threw the crown of roses for his trouble. 

“I knew you were saving this for someday,” he grumbled. 

“Only the best for you, your majesty,” Ronan jibed back. 

Adam hit his shoulder with the crown, the little thorns from the rose stems grazing his skin. Ronan bit out a laugh.  

 

* * *

 

When Ronan brought the visitors to the banquet hall, it was already teeming with activity and chatter. They often held the doors open to those who needed the security of a free meal, and it never failed to fill up. It brought a lively energy to the palace that did not exist prior to Ronan taking the mantle of Greywaren.

He had silently led them out of the catacombs, allowing the Prince to mindlessly chatter among his friends. Once the wide doors were open he walked straight up to the large head table at the front of the hall. There were four empty plates and goblets for them. Adam had not made his appearance yet. As the faux king, he will enter last. 

No fae would question it. And that was the way Ronan wanted it. 

He turned to face the four of them. He made a sweeping gesture towards the table. 

“You will be dining at the head table with the Greywaren and myself for the night,” he told them. 

The Princess crossed her arms. She raised a dark eyebrow. “So you do talk?” 

The Prince leaned down to whisper something in her ear which made her roll her eyes. Their two companions had adoring smiles on their faces; like this was a common occurrence between the two of them. 

Ronan did not dignify the Princess with an answer. Instead, he made his way from behind and sat down in his seat. The others followed him. Ronan snuck glances out of the corner of his eye at the four of them. In the chatter of the hall, he could not hear what they were whispering about. When the time came to start the banquet, he stood up. 

“Make way for the Greywaren!” he announced, his voice booming, immediately silencing the hall. 

Two guards opened the doors and Adam strode in like he was made for this role. Ronan knew he was just very good at acting. Adam did not like to normally draw attention to himself. Ronan watched him eye their visitors before taking his seat next to Ronan. Ronan gave an encouraging half-smile which Adam responded in like. 

He raised his goblet in the air. “We welcome our visitors from the Otherworld. And we toast to trust!” 

All the fae responded with zeal, raising their own goblets. “Let the banquet commence!” 

Air spirits whisked into the hall, dropping food and pitchers of mulled wine on the tables. The musicians started to play their songs, filling the atmosphere. Ronan immediately started to take food and pile it onto his plate. His goblet filled with the dark liquid. 

Ronan started to eat with a fury like he always did. Adam was much more meticulous. He slowly ate, savoring all the flavors that came with it. Instead of his goblet being filled with the wine, it was water. Only true fae could handle the mulled wine of Cabeswater. Not even Adam could. 

Ronan turned to watch Adam observe their visitors. He gently put down his knife and fork. He picked up the pitcher of mulled wine. They had all been very hesitant to start eating. Their plates were still completely full. He was testing them.  

“Would care for some drink?” he asked them cordially. 

If they completely refused, then they’d be deemed untrustworthy. Ronan watched with an astute curiosity. He could see in their faces they knew this was a trick. The Prince was trying to find a clever way out of it. The Princess looked peeved and she still found them untrustworthy. The blonde man, who Adam had mentioned had his gray eyes narrowed, burning a hole into Adam. The man farthest down, with his hair, elaborately done was looking on with a curious eye as well. 

“This banquet is toasted to good faith, and  _ trust _ ,” Adam reminded them. Pushing them further to the edge of his offer and their fate.

The Prince’s hazel eyes glowed in the firelight of the hall. His lips were pursed together as he looked at Adam. 

“Thank you, Greywaren,” the Prince started. 

“You may call me your majesty. Greywaren is a title for only those who deserve to call me it,” he interrupted coolly. 

The Prince seemed momentarily startled but he quickly recovered. Ronan had to hide his grin by taking a sip of the mulled wine out of his goblet. 

“My apologies, your majesty. We can’t accept your offer of wine,” he said. 

Adam’s head tilted upwards in a sign of offense. He placed the pitcher back down. 

“But,” The Prince continued to save himself, “we would be grateful to have some of your water. We hear it is the purest in all of the realms.” 

Ronan couldn’t see Adam’s face, but he knew they had passed the test. Exchanging one for the other. A wind spirit came to the table and placed another pitcher on the table. Adam pushed it towards them. 

“Try some for yourself. And do not be afraid to eat. We have plenty.” 

Adam turned to Ronan and they shared a knowing look with each other. Adam took a sip of his own water and continued to eat. 

The rest of the banquet went without a hitch. The guards had helped and escorted the rest of the fae out, who were deliriously drunk. The music soon left with the crowds, who were no doubt ready to go out into a field and dance and sing until they collapsed. Then it was just them with the visitors. 

The wind spirits brought their plates away. Adam turned to face the four of them. 

“How did you enjoy your dinner?” he asked politely. 

“It was wonderful. Thank you for hosting us,” the Prince responded. 

Adam nodded. “I am glad to hear it.” 

A tense silence came about after. Adam cleared his throat and took a sip from his goblet. “I sense some doubt within you still. What have you still fearing?” 

Ronan watched the four of them hold a silent conversation among themselves. Finally, it was the Princess who decided to speak up. 

“You claim you want to trust, and yet you keep secrets from us.” 

Adam tilted his head to the side. “We are all entitled to secrets are we not?” he deflected. 

That gave the Princess a pause, but she shook her head as to get the thought out of her mind. She stood up. The Princess was not tall--in fact, she much more looked like the type of fae people would imagine. 

“What we mean is, we know this is a ruse.” 

“What are you talking about?” Adam asked. 

She gestured up and down at Adam. “All of this. You are not the Greywaren.” 

Adam stood up this time as well, towering over her. “How dare you make such an accusation. I invite you into my own home, and this is how you treat me?” he demanded. 

The Princess was not deterred. Ronan was mildly impressed. Then the blonde man stood up next to her. His gray eyes were like stone. 

“I have seen you before, and you know it. No king of the fae would be out spying on other kingdoms.” 

Adam shook his head, his hair swishing. “You must be mistaken me for some mortal.” 

At that moment, Adam had let his accent slide out. Ronan raised his eyebrows, and he saw the Princess notice it. A knowing look came across her face. She reached over and grabbed the goblet and peered inside. 

“This is filled with water,” she observed. 

Adam stood up straight as if to hide the fact that he had blown his cover. “There is nothing wrong with drinking water,” he defended, his accent gone again. 

The Princess put the goblet down again. “And I agree. But something tells me that you can’t drink the wine.”  

“That is absurd.” 

She tilted her head, her black hair covered with a multitude of hair accessories glinting. She pursed her lips. “But is it?” 

“Mulled wine of the fae is dangerous to mortals. Even just a sip will send them into a drunken frenzy, to dance and sing your life away until you quite literally, drop dead.” 

“And how could you possibly know that?” he asked. 

“I grew up in Vulpea. Perhaps the kingdom most closely tied to your kind. I know fae when I see them. My mother is one of the rulers of Vulpea, she has the gift. And so does the rest of my family. You did not have the right energy for fae the moment I saw you.” 

Ronan watched Adam’s shoulders tense up. They were hitting too close to home. He shook his head. “You do not know anything about me, Princess. And it would do you well not to disrespect me any more than you already have.” 

She held her hands up, bracelets jingling together. “Do not get me wrong, _your majesty_ ,” she emphasized, “there is something about your energy. You are not fully mortal either. It seems you are in a hazy in-between. A fae raised in the mortal world. A  _ Changeling _ .” 

He heard Adam take a deep breath. “This is why we do not trust mortals. You came here seeking an alliance, but instead, you have gained an enemy.” 

“Who is the real Greywaren?” The Princess demanded. “Only he can have the final word.”

“I am the Greywaren,” Adam insisted. 

“You’re lying,” the blonde main accused. 

“Is this even the real Cabeswater? Or just a very convincing fluke?” the other man asked out loud. 

“This is the real Cabeswater,” Adam said through clenched teeth. 

“Then where is your leader?” The Princess asked again. 

The act was slipping. And so was Adam’s grip on his temper. Ronan sighed and stood up next to Adam. He placed a placating hand on his lower back. 

“I’m the Greywaren,” he declared. 

The Prince’s eyebrows raised. “You are the Greywaren?” 

Ronan glared at him. “Look into my eyes, and say I am lying to you. I am the third Greywaren of the kingdom of Cabeswater.” 

Energy from the ley line hummed through the hall. The fires from the torches became brighter, lighting the room before dimming again. It was enough to get the visitors to believe him. He looked all of them in the eyes individually, making sure his displeasure was known. They were not afraid of Adam as Greywaren; he could see they were of him with the mantle though. Adam had a calmness that came with his rule. He hid his anger well until provoked enough. On the contrary, Ronan ran hot and made his fury and anger known. 

He brought his hand down to Adam’s who had tucked it away behind his back and squeezed in a comforting reassurance. He didn’t know who it was for exactly; perhaps both of them. 

“Now, you have one chance to tell me why I shouldn’t send my guards after you,” he grit. “Follow me.” 

Then he stormed out of the banquet hall and made his way back to the throne room, with Adam in tow, their grips tight with each other.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I love the positive response this has gotten! This story is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing one I've written, like ever. And it holds a special place in my heart already. I also power wrote this in like 4 hours today, so I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Not beta'd or edited so all mistakes are mine.

The man who was the real Greywaren was not a man Gansey would have ever thought to be the ruler of Cabeswater. He was menacingly tall, with his hair cropped close to his skull, and blue eyes that could pierce the soul with one glare. He held a much different energy than the man who had posed as the Greywaren. 

There were thousands of questions whirring inside his head. He couldn’t believe he had been made a fool of so seamlessly. If it were not for Blue and Noah, he would have never known any the better. And he was worried that Blue was going to be punished for her feisty attitude towards the two of them. 

As they held hands, following the Greywaren and his companion, he could see in the dim light that she knew she made a mistake but was not sorry for it. Gansey felt a surge of affection for her, and he squeezed her hand. 

She looked up quizzically at him. He gave her a smile that he hoped would reassure her. She smirked back, and he knew she got the message. 

As they made their way down the hallway, the torches that lined the walls lit up with a blaze of fire, mystifying Gansey. He would never get enough of this magic in this Otherworld he had stepped into. It made his own world seem so mundane in comparison. He wondered how he had lived so far without it in his life. 

He carefully observed the two men in front of him. They were both taller than him, and the Greywaren had a few inches on the imposter. 

Gansey wished he knew their names, but names held secrets and power. And he doubts they would be willing to give it to them now. They had the upper hand knowing his name and Blue’s. But Blue had struck something inside the imposter at the banquet. She had said something that took him off guard and eventually crumbled the facade he held. It was quite an interesting turn of events. 

The two of them were leaning down and whispering things to each other. Neither looked back to see if they had followed them. 

Finally, the earthly corridor they had been walking through led to a large wooden door. Not very different than the one Gansey had seen earlier. The imposter grabbed the keys from the belt of the Greywaren. The jingling of the metal echoing in the otherwise silence of the hall. Once he found the key he unlocked the door, pushing it open easily, though Gansey saw it must have been heavy, as it was solid wood. Another detail archived. 

The imposter waited at the door, as the rest of them walked in. Once Henry was inside, he shut the door behind and locked it. The room was darker than earlier. 

It must reflect the time of day it is outside, he thought to himself. He wished he had his journal on him so he would have documented everything he saw. He would just have to try his best to recollect if he made it home. 

He looked up where the ceiling was and found himself surprised by the fact that there was no ceiling. Instead, it was open to the night sky. The moon was waning in the center, brighter than he’d ever seen it before. And stars spread before him in more abundance than from his tallest tower in the castle. He wondered how this could be the same sky he saw every night when the one he saw at that moment was so much...more.   

Perhaps it would not be a tragedy if he never went home again. It was a whimsy thought of his wants, not his needs. 

He could smell the fresh air. He closed his eyes to take it in fully. The faint scent of pine trees and freshwater wafted to him. Gansey never felt closer to peace; which was a twist of irony. 

The babbling of the brook was white noise. When he opened his eyes again, he turned towards the throne, woven from the tree stump. The true Greywaren did not sit like the imposter had; straight back and confident. He lounged in it. He was leaning back against it, his arm hanging over the armrest like it was the last thing he wanted. But this also oozed confidence...in a different way; it showed that he was confident enough in his power and rule that he did not care what others saw him like. 

He noticed that he now wore the crown of blue roses that the imposter had worn in their first meeting. It didn’t look as mystical as it did on the imposter, but he still made it look magical. Gansey snuck a glance at the imposter who now stood in the same spot the Greywaren had earlier. In his golden hair was a circlet that shined silver. It was simple looking; somehow even the most simple things were made to look elegant in this world. 

A loud KERAH! Came. From somewhere beyond Gansey’s line of vision, a large raven appeared and landed on the shoulder of the Greywaren. Gansey wondered if it was the same raven from before. It had to be. The Greywaren did not look bothered by the corvid, and it made him seem more intimidating. 

No one said anything for a long while. The Greywaren and the imposter just stared at them, a fire in both their gazes. 

“You’re lucky,” a deep voice said. It was gravelly and quiet. Gansey looked up and saw it was the Greywaren that had spoken. 

His voice sounded different without the drunken merry of the other fae they had hosted in the banquet hall. Now it was just them. He glanced at his wife and friends. It was clear in their silent conversation that Gansey would be the best to lead them. He nodded and looked towards the two faes. 

“Pardon?” he inquired. He had to think about his words, lest he insults them and gets him and his friends killed. 

“He said, you’re lucky,” the imposter repeated slowly. His voice was deep as well but held a different tone in it. He spoke like he wanted to be heard. 

Gansey pondered how to respond. But he didn’t get the chance before the imposter spoke again. 

“You are all lucky that he is the Greywaren you came upon and not his father. He would not have been so merciful of your indiscretions.” 

Gansey saw the power that laid behind his blue eyes. He may not have been the real Greywaren, but he was not one to be trifled with. In the night, and under the glow of the moon and galaxy, these men were the most powerful beings Gansey would ever meet on this plane of existence. They could make remarkable allies or ruthless enemies. Gansey did not want the latter. That was not his intention at all.

He got down on a knee and bowed his head, hoping they’d see it was out of respect. He glanced over and nodded for his friends to join him. They did follow his lead. He looked up at the two of them. 

A fog had started to fill the room. Gansey was once again astounded. He watched as it came from behind the throne, where the trees lined up behind, now showing off its long shadows. The fog poured down the little steps and around them. He waved his hand through it, feeling the light mist of it touch his skin. It only pooled around the ankles of the two men in front of them. They did not seem bothered by it. Gansey wondered if one of them had even caused it. 

Was this room connected to them somehow? It would not be out of the realm of possibility at this point. The fae was much more in harmony with the world around them than humans were. 

With the fog came a chilling breeze. He heard the rustle of the trees, and he watched as it seemed to go around the two men. The imposter’s hair did not move with the wind which could only be the work of magic. Gansey had to suppress a shiver up his spine. 

The throne room had taken on a haunting aura; a stark contrast from earlier today. 

“I give you most sincere apologies, your majesty. We did not mean to be the cause of any ire towards you, or disrespect you in anyway. We did come here on a peaceful mission, and we still hope that you may see us as valuable allies,” Gansey said. 

“It’s not me you need to apologize to, and it should not be you who gives it,” the Greywaren responded.

For a moment, Gansey blanched at the Greywaren before quickly composing himself. His eyes glanced over the imposter whose chin was raised and his eyebrow arched like he was curious and waiting. He turned to Blue who looked less than pleased at the insinuation. 

“Blue, you must,” he whispered.

“I know,” she whispered back before clearing her throat. 

“Is there a title I may refer you by? It would feel disingenuous to not know any name to whom I am apologizing to. You are not called the Greywaren as well, are you?” she asked. 

The imposter tilted his head like she said something peculiar. “Do you call yourself a prince?” he mocked. 

His eyes caught the Greywaren’s, and he saw a spark of humor flicker through them. But it was gone as fast as it came. Blue had flushed red. This was a very hard apology. 

After a moment of watching Blue simmer, he talked again. “You may call me the Magician.” 

The name held power. The raven on the Greywaren’s shoulder let out another KERAH! The trees started to rustle, like they were responding to him. Wind blew through again, rustling his robes and hair. He was powerful indeed. 

Blue let out a soft sigh, and looked up to the Magician. He waited patiently. 

“Magician, I am sorry if I said anything that may have offended you. It was not my intention to taunt you in the way I did, in your own home. Please, forgive me, and have mercy.” 

He seemed to ponder it for a moment. His blue eyes narrowed and he turned to the Greywaren again. He took a step closer and leaned down to whisper in his ear, at the same time making direct eye contact with Blue. The Greywaren lifted his head up and said something back, which formed a smile on the Magician’s face, showing off his white teeth. 

The two of them shared a type of intimacy that Gansey had rarely seen in his lifetime. He realized at once that they were lovers. 

The Magician turned his attention back to Blue. He still wore the amused look on his face, that somehow softened his sharp features. 

“You truly are fortunate that the Greywaren is as merciful as he is. He told me to forgive you. And I do,” he declared. 

Before Blue could sigh her relief he continued. “If it were truly me who had been the Greywaren, you would not have been so fortunate. I am not as forgiving to mortals.” 

There was an ice in his tone. He was undoubtedly telling the truth. It was hard to imagine the Magician, a being who looked like the sun god of the old being the less forgiving of the two. He was a striking contrast to the Greywaren, who looked ready to kill those who slight him with a wrong look. It baffled him for a moment. 

Gansey decided to take over once more. “Well, we humbly thank you for your mercy your majesty.” 

“It should be your majesties,” the Greywaren corrected casually. 

It took a moment to process the words that had come out of his mouth. When they did, he looked between the two of them. They were more than just lovers; they were co-rulers of this magnificent kingdom. He had never heard of anything like this from the tales of Cabeswater. 

“You two, rule together? Are you in matrimony?” he wondered. 

The Greywaren raised a sharp eyebrow. “Are you married to your tiny princess? Or are you just really good friends, who will someday co-rule Cardiff together?” He then put a hand to his chin and turned towards the Magician. “It has been quite a while since I’ve ventured into the mortal realm. Perhaps things have changed?”  

The two of them had the same sense of mockery it seemed. He heard Noah and Henry snicker from the side and try to hide it behind closed fists.

The Magician had a smirk and rolled his eyes. It was a very...human gesture. “Nothing has changed in the past hundred years. And it will likely stay that way for the next.” 

He paused for a moment. He had never seen an official same sex marriage before. It was not uncommon for royals and elites to take on male lovers, but to wed them? It was unheard of. This was a foreign territory that did not follow societal rules. And the way the Magician threw out a century like it was nothing. How old were these beings? The mystery surrounding them only grew as the night wore on.  

Gansey just nodded his head and hoped to further the conversation towards a deal of diplomacy. 

“This may sound boorish, but we still wish to negotiate an alliance with you,” Gansey said tentatively. 

The Magician and Greywaren exchanged another glance with each other. The Magician then turned to them. 

“We will negotiate with you in the morning.” 

Gansey felt conflicted about staying much longer in Cabeswater. It felt like a lure, a trick from the fables of fae folk. Perhaps there was some truth to them; once you enter the land of the fae, you do not return. 

 

* * *

 

It was still the middle of the night when Adam left his and Ronan’s bedroom. He couldn’t sleep. The memory of the Princess analyzing him in the banquet hall was repeating itself in his mind. He needed to talk to her. Find out how she could know so much for a mortal. It was the only way to give him any semblance of a peace of mind.

His footsteps were silent as he made his way down the catacombs to their cell that they had put them in. With a wave of his hand, the tree bars lowered themselves to the ground to allow himself entryway. 

Even in the darkness, he could see all of them. The Princess and Prince were together on one of the cots against the wall. The Prince had his arms wrapped against the Princess’ waist. They were both sound asleep. He turned towards the other two men, who were also sharing the other cot on the other side of the room. The two of them were not as close. He could see the blonde man who had recognized him drooling on the dark haired man’s shoulder. 

He walked up to the Princess and observed her for a moment more. He admit she was pretty looking. He leaned down and gently tapped her shoulder. She did not react strongly to it. Instead, she just rolled over, muttering something incomprehensible in her sleep. 

Then he gently grabbed her shoulder and shook it. This was more successful. She still muttered something Adam didn’t understand, but her brown eyes blinked open slowly, and she glanced up at him. Upon seeing him, her eyes immediately shot open wide, and in haste to not make a scene, Adam put his hand over her mouth and his finger over his lips. He did not wish to wake up the other inhabitants. 

“I need you to come with me,” he whispered. 

The Princess looked highly skeptical, which he did not blame her for. He quickly took his hand off her mouth and stepped back. He did not say anything more before he walked towards the entrance of the cell. He glanced back to see if she was going to follow him. Adam saw her still sitting on the bed, her feet planted on the ground. Adam nodded his head in the direction he wanted to take them. 

He watched her glance down at the Prince for a long moment, her lips pursed together before standing up and following him out. Once they were out of the cell, the bars regenerated themselves. 

“Is this your way of telling me that you’re going back on your word of forgiveness and are going to kill me?” she asked with a bitterness laced in her tone. 

She had made quick strides to keep up with him. Adam looked down at the small Princess. Though her quick tongue had irked Adam at first, she seemed to be growing on him faster than he thought. She reminded him of Ronan in many ways. 

“I don’t know what you’ve heard about the fae, but not all of us are out to kill mortals. My word of forgiveness rings strong and true. But we have things we must discuss, and I would rather do it in private,” he told her. 

She crossed her arms over her chest. “So where is it exactly you are spiriting me away to?” she wondered. 

Adam let in a deep inhale through his nose. “To my favorite place. The palace can get overwhelming and rather claustrophobic at times. I think it would do us good to get some fresh air.” 

He led them out of the palace and into the forest of Cabeswater. It was still dark outside, but Adam knew these lands like he knew he had ten fingers on his hands. He used the moonlight and stars as his guide through the thick canopy of trees. The only sounds that could be heard were the crunching of grass under their feet. 

They came across a thicket of rose bushes. The roses bloomed all sorts of colors, some natural others not so much. But this was Cabeswater, where magic hummed through the leyline like a heartbeat. He bent down and picked a yellow rose gently from the bush. He let the fragrance of it come over him for a moment. 

He turned to the Princess who was looking on with a hesitant curiosity. He let out a small smile. 

“Do you know what the different colors of roses symbolizes?” he asked softly. 

The forest was made for soft voices only. 

She shrugged her shoulders, pushing a strand of black hair behind her ear. Adam noticed that her hair was not styled like a normal princess’. There was a wild style about it, a hint of a rebel. Adam liked that about her. She was different from other mortals, and that could make all the difference with him. 

“I know some. My cousin used to get all kinds of roses and flowers from admirers,” she admitted. 

Adam let out a hum. He twisted the stem of the yellow rose gently between his fingers. Careful to avoid the thorns that protruded. 

He could feel the energy of the ley line under his feet and in his bones. Out here, was where he felt most connected to his forest. The kingdom that he had come to love, along with it’s ruler. He felt most alive when he was between the trees. 

“Do you know what the yellow rose symbolizes then?” he asked her. 

When he looked at her again, she shook her head no. He looked at her eyes for a moment before twirling the rose once more. 

“It can mean a lot of things, depending on the context of the situation. The yellow rose can be symbolic of friendship, joy, the promise of new beginnings,” then he felt a wry smile form on his lips, “of jealousy.” 

He heard her scoff. “I don’t know why someone would give anyone a rose out of jealousy.” 

A silent laugh escaped his lips. “Mortals are strange beings, is my best reason.” 

He looked towards the thicket again, and laid his hand on top of it. In his mind, he asked it to seperate for him so that they could get through without any scrapes from thorns. Adam felt the hum of energy and the pleasure to do what he wanted, in his body. And soon a path was given to them. He felt the love of the forest come to him, and he sent his love back out. 

“Follow me.” 

They walked through the thicket which led to an opening.The opening then led to a cliff ledge, which overlooked the large valley of Cabeswater where most of the fae folk lived. He walked over to the edge and sat down, his legs dangling over the air. He saw the Princess follow suit. 

The sky had turned from black to purple, indicating the sun would be rising soon. Sunrise was the most beautiful thing to witness, in Adam’s opinion. And it is what made this spot his favorite. 

“This is the place you wanted to take me?” she asked. 

Adam nodded. He leaned back on his hands, the yellow rose’s thorns gently pricking his palm. But he didn’t mind. 

“I wish to talk to you about what you said at the banquet hall,” he finally said after releshing in the silence. 

“I should not have burst at you like that,” she responded. It sounded like she was apologizing again. 

Adam let out a deep sigh from his mouth. “No, you probably shouldn’t have. But, that doesn’t mean you weren’t right. I just want to know, how you could’ve figured it out so fast.” 

He turned to face her. “You are not just some ordinary mortal, are you?” 

A small grimace came on her face, showing off a shallow dimple in her cheek. She ran a hand through her hair again, messing it up more than it had been. She had hitched her skirts up, which looked like they had been patched together with various clothes, up to her knees showing off her strong legs. She was very unusual indeed, and that was not a bad thing to be. 

“You already know I’m from Vulpea,” she started. Adam nodded in agreement. He did know that. 

“So you know that my home kingdom has the closest ties to the ley line aside from yours. And that my mother, one of the rulers, has the Gift.” 

Adam also did know all of this. He was the Magician. The right hand man of the Greywaren. It was his job to protect the kingdom, and to monitor the neighbors as well. He had been to Vulpea many times in his life. But it had been a very long time since he’d gone back.  

“You look exactly like your mother did when she was around your age you know,” he admitted to her. 

The Sargent lineage ran strong and deep in Vulpea. Maura Sargent raised a magnificent daughter. The Princess looked shocked at his words. Her brown eyes wide, her eyebrows shot to her forehead and her mouth gaped open. It was amusing to look at her. 

“You know my mother?” she finally said aghast. 

Adam let out a small laugh, and dipped his head low.  “I do know your mother. Though it has been a long time since I’ve seen her. I will not lie, I thought it was her at first, when I was alerted of you in the forest.” 

“You knocked us off our horses? I thought it was wind,” she admitted. 

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “It was me. But perhaps the wind did help me some.” 

The Princess shook her head, like she was clearing her thoughts to get back on track. She looked over at him again, a fire in her eyes. 

“How do you know my mother?” she demanded. 

“The same way your blonde friend knew who I was. I do reconnaissance missions for the Greywaren. Sometimes I go to Vulpea. Your mother and your aunts helped me out when I most needed it. Before I found my way here.” 

He did not want to think of the memories of Before. They were painful, and they were shrapnel that Adam had learned to deal with over the years. But somehow the mention of Maura had brought him skirting the edge. 

Adam thought of Persephone sometimes. She had helped Adam make sense of his own being, and his place in the world he lived in. She was a fae herself, but chose to live among the mortals instead. Adam wondered if the Princess even knew.

“Really?” she sounded mystified by the notion of her mother helping Adam. He didn't blame her. It could be a lot.

He just nodded. Adam looked at the Princess more closely. He hadn’t sensed it before, but now he could see it. A soft aura was coming off of her. It glowed faintly blue, which made him smile to himself. If Maura had named her child because an aura, he’d laugh for days. 

Adam leaned closer and put his hand on her arm. She recoiled at first at the sudden touch. 

“Relax,” he reassured her. When she realized he wasn’t going to do anything, he felt her muscles relax under his hand. He was just trying to get a better sense of what she was. A trick Calla had taught him years ago, before Blue was even a thought. 

He let out a contemplative hum. “I guess it is true that similar things tend to attract to one another.”

He took his hand off her arm and sat back again. She looked at him with a pinched expression on her face. 

“What are you talking about?” 

Adam tilted his head. “You said before you could sense that I was a child of the inbetween.” 

The Princess nodded in affirmation. Adam continued. 

“And I would tell you, you are correct. I was born a fae, but raised and suckled by a mortal family. Which links me to both worlds. But, you Blue, are the same way.” 

She looked confused. “What?” 

“What do you know about your father?” he prodded. 

“Nothing. I know nothing except his name,” she said. 

Adam thought on that information for a long moment. He did not know who her father was, but he knew what he was...or is if he is still alive. He most likely is, given fae live rather long lives. 

“Your father was a tree light,” he told her. 

“What is that?” she asked. 

Adam looked around at the trees that led back to the main forest. He pointed to one and looked back at her. 

“The spirits who live in the trees. They are a type of fae. Unbeknownst to you, you have been living in the in between as well. You belong here just as much as you do in the mortal realm.” 

She shook her head. “That’s insane.” 

“The world tends to be. You just have to make due with what you got, as best as you can.” 

The Princess raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re pretty good at giving sage advice. I have a feeling you’re a lot older than you look.” 

Adam smiled at her. “You would assume correct.” 

She leaned back on her elbows. She was getting more comfortable around him. As the sky started to get lighter, he could see the green of the grass they were on better. 

“So how old are you exactly?” she inquired. 

“Old enough that I’m not going to tell you. You just need to know that I’ve been around a while, and I’ve seen a thing or two, and know a thing or two as well.” 

“Yeah?” she challenged, “well I know a thing or two about the fae. Are you going to keep us here forever? Have we fallen into a trap?” 

“You passed the only test I gave you when you decided to pass on the mulled wine. Which was smart. Even I can’t drink that stuff. If you didn’t have your wits with you, you would be down there dancing in ecstasy until you die.” 

He pointed to the little blip in the valley, that was orange among the black. Some fae can dance for days without tiring out. Just thinking about it made Adam tired. He often wondered if Ronan ever partook in those festivities. He knew when he was younger, and just a prince he hit the drink hard and fast. There were just some things that were left to oneself, he supposed. Ronan sure as hell doesn’t know everything about Adam, so it was only fair if Ronan kept secrets too. 

“So you really are going to negotiate with us then?” she asked. 

“Yes. It seems you already have the alliance you are looking for though,” he told her. 

“How so?” 

He gestured to her. “A princess from Vulpea, who is half fae and mortal. Seems worthy of an alliance to me. You are a daughter of both kingdoms.” 

Adam looked as the sun suddenly burst over the horizon. It’s rays casted a bright orange over the sky and the valley and everything else it touched. It reflected off the rock of the hills that surrounded them, making it look like magma. It hurt to look at for too long, but one couldn’t stop anyway. The sky turning from a purple to a pink, and slowly to a blue. It was breathtaking. 

The valley soon began to awake, and the little fae were just dots in the green valley they lived in. It was the start of a new day. 

Adam looked at the yellow rose under his palm. And then he extended it towards the Princess. She looked at him before taking it from his fingers. 

“The promise of a new beginning,” he told her. 

 

* * *

 

Ronan was not happy when he woke up to find the other half of his bed empty and cold. Meaning Adam had been gone for a while.

Sometimes he did that. He would go out on walks through the forest to calm himself, or the forest would call to him in the middle of the night to shift things around to straighten the ley line back. But that didn’t mean Ronan had to like it. 

Adam came back as Ronan was in the middle of getting dressed. When he saw Ronan he walked over and gave him a kiss. He smelled like roses, meaning he had gone outside for a walk. 

“How long were you gone?” he asked as he tugged on his clothes for the day. 

Adam had taken his off as well, and went into the bathroom to freshen up. “Couldn’t sleep. So a while I guess. Watched the sunrise.” 

Ronan nodded his head even though Adam couldn’t see it. They continued on their morning routine as usual. Before they were to head out, Adam wrapped his arms around Ronan’s waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. 

“We should make the alliance,” he said with no preamble. 

Ronan twisted his head to look down at Adam. He did not feel the same way less than twelve hours ago. 

“What’s with the sudden change of heart?”

It wasn’t like Adam to change his mind over something so quickly. It seemed weird for him. So he dragged them both onto the bed and they sat down at the end of it. 

“I talked to Blue,” he said. 

“Who?” he asked. 

“The Princess.” Ronan nodded his head in understanding. Then he shook it looking at Adam like he was crazy. 

“When did you talk to her?” he demanded. 

He let out a deep sigh. “Her words haunted me from sleep. So I went to the cell and took her outside to chat. Then I discovered she’s a tree light.” 

Ronan was shocked at that. He didn’t peg her as any type of fae. “How can you know that?” 

“I saw and felt her aura. She’s half tree light, half mortal. She’s like me,” he admitted.

Ronan knew Adam hated remembering the fact that he is not fully either. Since he wed Ronan though, his bond with Cabeswater and the fae realm was much stronger than his ties to the mortal one. But it was still a reminder, that his aura and energy would never be like Ronan’s. 

“Well, that’s something,” was all he could think to say. 

Adam nodded his head in agreement. Then he slapped his hands on his legs. “Well, we shouldn’t keep those mortals waiting any longer.” 

They all had a nice breakfast at the banquet hall. Not as many fae showed up as they did for dinner time, which was normal. So it was relatively more quiet, which Ronan liked better anyway. After he led them to a room, which was seldom used since his father. It was the deal making room. 

Adam lit all the torches with his connection to the ley line, aweing the mortals once more. Ronan rolled his eyes before sitting down at the oak table. He wasn’t not going to beat around the bush with them. 

“What do you want?” he demanded. 

The Prince’s hazel eyes widened at his curt tone, but quickly shook it off. He leaned forward, all manners. He was definitely raised to be a diplomat of sorts. 

“Well, as I have mentioned a few times, we want to form an alliance with Cabeswater,” he told them. 

“Why?” Ronan crossed his arms. 

Out of his peripheral, he saw Adam raise his eyebrows. He was much more of the diplomat than Ronan was. He should be doing this. But he was the Greywaren. It was his job, not Adam’s. 

The blonde man decided to step forward for once. “A few days ago, the scouts of our kingdom reported back that there have been rumors of someone wanting to drain the ley line of its power.” 

Ronan wasn’t impressed. “They were just rumors then. The ley line is fine.” Then he turned to Adam for a second opinion. “Right?” 

Adam nodded. “I would know if there were any discrepancies with the ley line.” 

“And I understand,” the Prince said. “But, I think it would be wise to take those into account anyway. Cabeswater is the most closely tied kingdom to the line, on which we all depend on one way or another. If the rumors to turn to be true, an alliance between us would be invaluable.” 

“Do you have any suspects on who would do it?” Adam asked, tilting his head. His golden hair going over his eyebrows. 

“The scouts suspected King Colin of Grennia,” the dark haired man said. His hair was back to being ornately done, though Ronan had no idea how. 

Adam immediately shook his head. “That’s not possible. A mortal like him wouldn’t be capable of draining a ley line.” 

“Then who would?” the Princess asked. 

Adam looked to Ronan. He could see that there was some mild concern in his eyes. Ronan could feel what Adam was thinking, and he did not want to harbor that thought. Even the possibility made him feel a twinge in his gut. 

“Only fae would be able to,” Adam declared. 

“Then, maybe he is enlisting a fae to do it for him,” Gansey hesitantly added. 

That was not a pleasant thought. But there was no draining being done, as far as him or Adam knew of. Ronan had a top suspect already in mind. But he did not want to think about what would happen if he was correct. He knew Adam was thinking the same thing. This could become a horribly dangerous situation. 

“Did the Princess tell you what I told her this morning?” Adam asked the Prince. 

The Prince nodded his head. “Yes. It was quite the revelation I will tell you.” 

Adam firmly nodded. “Then you know we have accepted an alliance with your kingdom. Now all is needed is to sign a treaty.” 

The Prince looked eager. “Oh, that is marvelous. I can have my team draft a treaty and we can sign it at Cardiff.” 

Adam raised his hand to silence him. “I will also look it over, and make sure it is fair on both sides. And we will sign it on neutral territory. The border between Cabeswater and Cardiff.” 

“Of course. We will get it done right away.” 

Adam nodded. “Good. We will send you back on your way then. And we will send you with our raven. Send her back with a message when you have drafted and we will come.” 

Ronan did not like the idea of sending his raven away with mortals. But if this was a step towards possibly avoiding any conflict with Kavinsky, then so be it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! And the plot thickens... 
> 
> As always, I encourage you all to kudos and leave comments for me because I love them all to death and they make my day every time. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is on a roll! Once again, I am so floored by the responses this has been getting, and it's making me super inspired to write more for you all. I promise I read all of them, I am just absolutely horrible about responding back. This was written in a lovely pocket of time where I didn't have to panic write a paper due the next day, so this was some peace writing that de-stressed me in this stressful last 3 weeks of the semester. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It is not beta'd or edited so all mistakes are mine.

When they crossed down the crest of the hills that led out from a different way of Cabeswater, they nearly ran into a royal guard. The man was startled by their appearance, nearly falling off his horse with a cry. Beneath the helmet, he wore Gansey saw his eyes widen and his jaw slacken. 

“Your Highness! You are alive!” he exclaimed. 

Gansey nodded his head in agreement. He craned his neck upwards towards the sky. It was bright blue with scattered clouds that towered high, signaling a storm approaching. He looked back down at the guard. 

“Yes, we are alive,” he confirmed. 

The guard seemed frazzled and he nodded his head quickly. He spared a glance at all of them once more before tightening his holds on the reins of his horse. The horse was clopping in place to ease the idleness. 

“We must get you back to the palace at once. The King and Queen will be overjoyed at your return.” 

Then he flicked the reins and started down the path that would lead through the heart of Cardiff and into the palace. By the time they made it back to the palace gates, it had started to drizzle outside. The guards who were placed outside the gates also seemed startled by the arrival of Gansey and his friends, and they scurried to open the gates to allow them entry. Another guard ran behind the chateau walls and did not return, no doubt the messenger. 

Once inside, they all got off their horses, and the stable boys took over their care. The staff that resided and worked in the palace seemed to be in a frenzy over the return. Chatter hung heavily in the air as many of the whisked things along the various corridors that were inside. 

Gansey knew that his parents could have been worried about his disappearing. But it had not been the first time he had done something of this sort, and it had never caused such a stir before. He wondered what made the difference this time. 

When they were in the hallway that lead to the throne room, the gilded doors flew open, revealing the King and Queen. Gansey had never seen them look so uncomposed. It was a startling thing to look at. His mother briskly walked forward and schooled her worried expression as best she could before wrapping her arms around Gansey. 

“Thank the lord you are all right, Dick!” she breathed out. 

She released him after a moment and gave a tentative hug to Blue as well, and sparing a concerning look towards Noah and Henry next to them. His father came up from behind and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it with a cordial smile underneath his gray beard. 

“Thank the Lord, all of you are okay. We were thought you had been kidnapped,” he explained. 

Gansey raised his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?” 

His mother clapped her hands together, her golden bangles clanging against each other. She did a quick glance around the hallway where servants were running to and fro. 

“It will be better if we speak of this in private,” she said in a low voice. She glanced at Noah and Henry. “You two shall come as well. We want to hear what happened to you. No details will be spared.”

They walked through the hallways of the palace until they came into the war room. The same place where Gansey had decided to travel into Cabeswater to form an alliance with the kingdom. 

His mother gestured for them to all sit down at the long table. They all followed her order, with his parents sitting at the head, and the four of them sitting across from them so the conversation would flow easier. His mother raised her eyebrows, as a signal to start explaining themselves. 

Gansey cleared his throat. He leaned forward and put his hands in his lap, manners that had been ingrained into him kicking in instantly in the company of his parents. 

“The place we have been was Cabeswater,” he started. 

For a moment his parents looked confused, both furrowing their eyebrows together and tilting their heads. 

“Cabeswater? That place is just a myth, son,” his father chastised. 

Gansey hated having disagreements with his parents. His family was not one for hot words and actions, but the polite debate could be just as stifling and it filled the room with a different kind of energy. Disputes like these always made him feel younger than he was. He didn’t know if that would ever go away or not. 

He felt a hand gently touch his shoulder. He looked over to see Blue glancing up at him, her brown eyes warm. She had a small smile on her lips and he knew that she knew his own inner thoughts. Underneath her soft hand, he felt his shoulders sag a little from not bearing the burden all by himself. He loved Blue Sargent. And he would never stop being thankful for her, for as long as he lived. 

“Your Highness,” Blue started, “Cabeswater is not just a myth parents tell children. It is a very real place, with real rulers who are much more powerful than you can ever imagine. We were all there, we all saw it with our own two eyes.” 

His parents still looked dubious about it. “Where pray tell, is this kingdom of Cabeswater anyway?” his father asked. 

“Out beyond the hills and into the forest on Cardiff’s borders on the Southwest. The forest is not like anything I have ever seen before. And I’ve been to the far east to Xia,” Noah added on. 

Henry at the mention of his home kingdom raised an eyebrow. “Xia is not any more mystical than the other kingdoms,” he pointedly said. 

Noah quickly nodded. “Oh yes, I agree. But it was just wonderful the first time I went on business with my parents. The architecture and culture are just gorgeous. If you ever do go back, take me to Joseon with you.” 

Henry sighed but a small smile formed on his face. “I’ll be sure to inform you then.” 

Gansey looked between the two men with a curious eye. He wondered if they had a bond that went deeper than companionship. It would not surprise him. 

“Gentlemen, let’s try to stay on task, shall we?” His father interceded. There was a cordial tone in his voice, but Gansey could tell that he was not in the mood for any side conversations. 

“The kingdom is located in the forest? Richard, what were you thinking going in there with no protection?” his mother demanded. “You know how dangerous places like those can be for you.” 

Gansey did know how dangerous it could be for him. With his deathly allergy to wasp stings, and his own near-death experience as a child because of them. His parents had wanted to keep him inside the borders to be safe, but he had just refused to sit idle. He made friends with the servants and their children and often used their tunnels to escape and get into the open. Gansey had a thirst for adventure that would never be quenched. There were always new things to see and discover. And he wanted to explore all of them. 

Gansey let out a sigh. “Mother, life is always going to be dangerous. When you live, there are risks no matter where you go or what you do. It was my own executive decision to travel to the borders of the kingdom, and Blue, Henry, and Noah all agreed on their own will to follow me.” 

His parents were not satisfied with those answers. He could see in their body language. His father shook his head. “What would’ve happened if you did not come back? We do not have an heir to the throne. The closest we have at the moment is Helen, but she is married to the Prince of Britana. It would be a political mess.” 

“But he did not die, and we are here. There is no use in dwelling on those thoughts,” Blue bit out. 

Gansey may have to be cordial and formal with his parents, but Blue had no qualms about telling exactly what she thought, in the way she felt about it. It was another reason Gansey loved her. She kept the room alive everywhere she went. And his parents could nothing about it. He couldn’t hide a smile off his face, though he knew his parents would not appreciate. Gansey for a moment didn’t find it in himself to care. Which was a rarity.  

There was a tense silence between both parties for a long minute. Then his mother cleared her throat. “What were your aspirations for doing this boorish quest?” 

“I wanted to be able to broker an alliance with the Greywaren of Cabeswater. I felt that if we were able to become allies if something were to happen in the future, it would be beneficial for both parties.” 

His mother scoffed. “That is a fool’s errand, you have to know that. I did not raise you to be like this, Richard.” 

“That is where you are wrong, your highness. We did meet the Greywaren. He is as real as we are. And they have agreed to make an alliance with Cardiff,” Henry told them, his voice even and smooth. 

Henry was just as good of a diplomat as Gansey had been raised to be. He had come from Xia as a diplomat to secure good trade relations between the two kingdoms and decided to stay after his stint. He had made an important link between the east and west. Gansey found his presence important and his friendship invaluable. His parents did not hold the same sentiments, unfortunately. 

“You had agreed with an alliance? How can we be led to believe such a thing from a mythological kingdom with nothing to offer us?” his father questioned. 

“We did. And it is quite ironic as the Greywaren had asked me the same question, wondering how a kingdom like ours would offer anything of their use.” 

His parents did not find that amusing. Gansey thought it to be. His father repeated his question again. Gansey did not know how he could prove it. The only thing that had come back with them from Cabeswater had been the Greywaren’s raven. But there was nothing unusual about a raven.  

“You will just have to take my word for it. I have never been known to lie to you before. Now is not any different,” he pleaded with his parents. 

His father shook his head. “I will not be making any deals with those slick fae. They are no good. Especially since I have not acquired proof that they exist. Even if I had agreed, it would make me look injudicious, making an alliance with a mythological kingdom. The family would be shamed.” 

Blue’s face lit up suddenly. She reached down to grab her woven satchel she made herself. She stuck her hand inside searching for something in a frenzy. Then out of it came a large yellow rose. Gansey had never seen anything like it before. She slapped it onto the table and flicked over to his parents who looked as shocked as he at her actions. 

“How about that for proof of this kingdom. We are not crazy,” she said before crossing her arms over her chest. 

His mother picked up the rose and held it close to her face. She slowly twisted the stem in between her fingers looking at the bright petals from all angles. His father had leaned in to observe as well. Gansey turned to her. 

“Where did you get such a rose from?” he asked her. 

“The Magician gave it to me when he took me out to talk. He said it symbolizes new beginnings. And then handed it over when he said they would agree to the alliance.” 

“I didn't even know such colors of roses existed,” Henry said with a tone of awe in his voice. 

“They may not exist in our world. But in Cabeswater, they do not follow the same rules we do,” Gansey said.

“If I didn’t know how in love you two were, or how much the Greywaren and Magician admire each other, I’d think the Magician was trying to woo you,” Noah quipped with a smirk. Blue scoffed and gently pushed his shoulder which allowed a laugh to erupt from Noah. 

Both his parents had looks of confliction over their faces. They didn’t want to believe what was true. But they could not deny the very nature of the yellow rose. It was not artificial in any way, and they knew it. Gansey took this as his opportunity. 

“They want us to draft a treaty for both kingdoms to sign, stating a mutual alliance between Cardiff and Cabeswater. The Greywaren sent his raven with us so we could give word when we complete it. Mother, Father, I will continue to insist.” 

His mother put the rose back down on the table, it’s petals a stark contrast to the dark wood. She let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and closed her eyes. 

“Richard,” she sighed, “are you sure about this? How can you trust them? You went in there and we did not think you would come back.” 

“We were only gone a day, mother.” 

She lifted her head up, her brown eyes narrowed. “A day? You were gone a week.” 

She shook her head more vigorously. “You can not trust these fae. They have already tricked your mind. Who knows what else they will take.” 

Gansey felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped down his back. He exchanged glances with his friends who seemed to be just as surprised by the revelation. Gansey had seen the sun set and rise in Cabeswater. It only happened once. They were gone for a day and a night. No more, no less. 

“How could that be possible? Time doesn’t just slow down,” Gansey inquired. 

“Apparently in Cabeswater it does. Which should come as no surprise given it is a fae kingdom. No wonder everyone acted like we had come back from the dead,” Henry chimed in. 

“I must insist. They will be waiting for word back on a treaty. It would be worse to go back on my own word and honor than to go through with this. They already believe us to be honorless, and I do not want to risk the tentative relationship we have.” 

“Richard,” his father sighed. 

“Father,” he said back, “I know you know me to adhere to my honor. I will not let this one go. As royals, we must have a cause we fight for and believe in, correct? If we don’t then what do we live for?” 

“And this cause is to ally ourselves with fae? Richard, do you hear yourself sometimes?” his father barked out. 

Before Gansey could get out another word his father continued. “Richard you are no longer a child. I cannot allow you to harbor these whimsy thoughts of fantasy for another moment. It is time to deal with the real world.” 

“This is the real world,” Gansey grit between closed teeth. “There could be something dangerous on the horizon, and I had the forethought to do something about it before it could strike us hard when we are vulnerable. We need to make this treaty and sign it. These fae are stronger than any human and would make valuable assets. I will once again, tell you I am insisting.” 

The two of them had a staredown. It was the worst argument he had ever gotten into with his parents. And it made an unfamiliar feeling curl in his gut. It wasn't entirely pleasant. But Gansey had to stand up for something. 

“So be it, Richard. You will get your treaty with those fae. I will have Barrington draft it up for you,” his father conceded. 

Gansey had to hide a face of disgust at the mention of Barrington Whelk. He was an unpleasant man who held his ire to the world on his sleeve. Once the son of a wealthy noble family in Cardiff before falling from grace, he was not a pleasant man to be around. Gansey did not like the idea of handling this duty to him of all people. 

“Father, Barrington of all people? I do not feel that is the wisest choice of men to give this task.” 

Noah nodded in agreement. Barrington Whelk had an unusual hatred towards Noah that Gansey could not even fathom to begin guessing. Noah was not the biggest fan of Barrington either. 

His father stood up then, his mother following. “Richard, it would serve you well to remember that you are only a prince still.” 

That was all the dismissal Gansey needed. 

* * *

 

Adam could sense the restlessness of Ronan. He would’ve been able to tell even if he wasn’t so closely bonded to the man. The interaction with the mortals of Cardiff left him waiting, and Ronan did not like waiting for things. Adam could tell that he wanted his raven back.

He approached Ronan after breakfast, wrapping his arms around his waist, and lowering his chin on the man’s shoulders. Ronan stopped immediately and leaned back into the touch. Adam tilted his head towards his ear. 

“You know what you need?” he asked him. 

“What?”

“We need to go riding,” Adam suggested. 

Adam looked up at Ronan’s face. He could see there was a light twinkling in the ice blue irises. Going on rides was a good outlet for Ronan’s restless energy. Ronan enjoyed the blur of the trees around them as they sped down on their horses. Adam enjoyed it too, which is why he suggested it in the first place. 

“That’s the greatest idea you’ve had in a while Parrish,” he muttered. 

Hearing his mortal surname come out of Ronan’s mouth made him pause for a moment. Ronan didn’t often use it as a term of endearment, but sometimes he did when he was feeling extra smug. It took a moment for Adam to gather his thoughts before he leaned down and placed a kiss on the side of Ronan’s jaw, making the man shudder underneath. Adam smiled into the kiss before letting go and getting ready to ride. 

Adam’s mare was a temperamental creature. She did not get ridden if she did not want to ride. But Adam still had a love for her, and he knew the horse loved him too. She was a beautiful Appaloosa with a dark brown coat on her face and front half of her body with a white coat on her rear and black spots covering the white. It seemed today was a good day for her, because she allowed Adam to ride on top of her. 

Ronan’s stallion was the opposite of Adam’s mare. Ronan’s stallion loved Ronan unconditionally, and if Ronan wanted to ride him, then he would ride him. The stallion was also the fastest horse in all the kingdoms if Ronan ever raced him. The stallion was intimidating, entirely black, and the compliment to Ronan if Adam had ever seen one. 

The two of them rode bareback like they had learned to; Ronan when he was younger by his father and Adam when Ronan taught Adam how to do so. When he lived in the mortal world, horses were a luxury only the rich could afford. And Adam was far from being rich. 

It was also one of the indicators that the visitors they had were from the mortal realm. When Adam had swiped them off the horses and brought them back to the palace, he noticed their horses had luxurious saddles on them. 

Both he and Ronan left the stables at the same time, and Ronan had a mischievous smirk on his face. He flicked the soft reins of his horse and they were off like a dart. Adam let out a laugh and quickly followed behind.

Riding a horse at full gallop always brought a thrill of adrenaline through Adam’s body. He enjoyed the sensation of the wind whipping through his hair, knotting it up. Feeling the muscles of his mare shift and work underneath his legs, as he tried to keep his balance. The clopping of the hooves as they hit the ground at lightning speed. And he especially loved doing it with Ronan. 

He heard Ronan let out a whoop of excitement. He craned his neck back to look at Adam who was still behind him. 

“That the best you got?” he taunted. 

Adam let out a laugh, that seemed to echo, even in his deaf ear. He flicked his reins and urged his mare to go faster. He was glad she was being cooperative today. Adam made sure to remember to give her a treat when they returned back to the stables later. With the extra burst of speed, Adam caught up to Ronan and his black stallion so they were side by side. 

Ronan’s face was flushed red, and his grin spread across his entire face. It made Adam love him more at that moment. 

As they kept riding through the forest, Ronan made a sharp turn with his stallion, that kicked up dirt and debris nearly hitting Adam in the face. Adam had a more difficult time turning around to follow Ronan. 

“Watch your horse, asshole!” Adam shouted out. 

“You just have to learn how to handle your mare better, Parrish!” he shouted back. 

Adam rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. Ronan was no longer at a gallop, but at a nice trot, so Adam was able to catch up to him easily. He recognized immediately where Ronan had taken them. 

Through the trees opened up a pasture. Inside were cattle that were grazing peacefully. They were tiny cattle and were called Dexter. The difference was that these were not normal cattle. Instead of having coats that were brown or black or white, they all sported a deep red coat that would not be natural anywhere else in the world. It was the Greywaren’s sacred cattle. Passed on to Ronan from his father, and from his grandfather to his father and along down the line of the Lynch family. No one except those with permission were to touch them in any way. 

Intermingled with the red cattle were sheep that were also grazing. They too were red in wool and were not to be touched. Those who did were to be severely punished. 

He and Ronan jumped off their horses and walked alongside them as they made their way through the pasture. When the animals noticed Ronan and Adam, they immediately started to flock to them. Adam smiled and held out his hand as one of the cattle nudged her snout into his open palm looking for some strokes. Her brown eyes blinked slowly and she let out a huff of appreciation before leaving to continuing her grazing. The sheep let out chatter as they tried to get to the both of them. 

From beyond he saw the shepherds come walking up from the river that cut through to see what the commotion was about. When the saw it was them, Adam watched as they dropped the pipes from their mouths and grabbed their staffs from behind the rocks to start shepherding the animals again. Adam greeted them with a nod as they continued through the pasture. 

They led their horses to the river to allow them rest and to drink from the waters that flowed through. It was also a time for Adam and Ronan to rest as well. Through the shade of the trees from the ride, Adam had not noticed how hot it had become. Sweat dripped from his brow and off his chin. He could feel the sun burning his skin, creating more freckles. Ronan was already looking red. 

Adam looked down at the cobblestones that created the shore of the river. The waters were clear as he ever seen them. He took off his tunic and threw it at Ronan’s face, who startled from where he was lying down with his eyes closed. He sat up and glared over at Adam who was keeling with laughter. 

“The fuck was that for?” he bit. 

Once he recovered from laughing, Adam stood up straight and put his hands on his hips. “C’mon Lynch, it’s hot as all hell out here. And there’s a fine river right at our disposal. We’re going swimming.” 

His mortal accent came out fully when he was alone with Ronan. He didn’t have to hide that fact about himself. And he knew it drove Ronan insane the way he elongated some words and cut others off at the end like he was stretching them lethargically out in the sun on a lazy day. 

He could see Ronan was trying to fight the urge just out of being a contrary asshole. But when Adam sauntered up to him slowly, blocking the sun from his view, he knew he’d won the battle. Adam reached a hand down, which Ronan grasped before pulling him up to his feet. 

Ronan quickly discarded his tunic as well. Adam took in the full sight of Ronan. All his strong muscles stretched underneath the pale skin that was blemished with rough scars from past fights. Much like Adam’s. But he was beautiful. The sun and his magical ancestry only heightened it. Ronan would’ve been a specimen if he had been born mortal. 

Adam waded into the river first. The water touching his bare skin sent a shock up his spine, but it was a welcomed one. By the time he was up to his thighs in water, Ronan was still standing on the bank of the river, his arms crossed. 

“Ronan, get in here. If you don’t I’ll have to splash you,” Adam warned. 

Ronan’s blue eyes narrowed, and his face scowled. He was always so skittish when it came to going into the water. He wasn’t like Adam who did not hesitate. It was taking out a bee sting, you had to do it quick so the pain went away faster. Ronan did not seem to understand that. 

Adam got his arms into position. Ronan’s scowl deepened on his face. 

“Don’t do it, asshole,” he growled. 

Adam let out a wave of water that went and soaked Ronan’s body. Ronan let out a stream of curses in multiple languages which had Adam laughing again. He laughed so hard it hurt his abdomen. 

“You fucking asshole!” Ronan belted. 

“I warned you! You had your chance. Now get in here!”Adam exclaimed back. 

Finally, Ronan stomped into the river, being dramatic about making as much splashing as possible by doing it. His arms were still crossed over his chest. Adam smirked and leaned into the water, allowing it to submerge his body. He pushed away from Ronan with ease, feeling the current around him. Then he ducked his head under, relishing in the coolness of the water and coming up for air feeling refreshed.

He stood back up on his feet, feeling the smooth rocks of the bottom and wiped the water dripping from his eyes. Ronan was only halfway in the water. Adam walked over with the intention of shaking his wet hair and hugging him. Ronan caught on quickly to his plan, and his eyes widened. He started to back away from him. 

“Not on your life,” he told him. 

Adam followed him. “I don’t know what you are referring to, Ronan,” he said with fake innocence. 

He jumped for Ronan who made a quick escape from his grasp. Adam fell into the water before standing back up. Ronan was deeper into the river now, his bottom half underwater. 

“C’mon Ronan, let me hug my husband,” he goaded. 

Ronan shook his head. “I know all your tricks, Parrish. It won’t work this time.” 

Adam let out a humph, and slowly made his way over. And when he was in the jumping distance he sprung on Ronan from behind wrapping his arms around his shoulders and neck which were covered in black ink, and his legs around his waist. Ronan let out a grunt from the surprise and Adam used his weight to lean back and bring both of them under the water. 

When they both broke the surface again, Ronan was letting out another stream of curses. He glared at Adam who was victorious in getting Ronan into the water fully. 

“You’re dead.” 

Then Ronan launched at Adam, and they engaged in a wrestling match. The water was shallow enough that it wasn’t dangerous to partake in these activities. They were a tangle of slick limbs as the playfully grappled each other. It ended with Adam in a headlock with Ronan behind him. 

“This is what you get for dunking me and splashing me,” he whispered in his ear. “Say it.” 

Adam was a prideful creature by nature. He kept his lips sealed. Ronan tightened his grip. “Say it, Parrish.” 

When he still stayed silent, Ronan let out a growl. “You goddamn prideful bastard. Say it!” 

Adam looked up at Ronan. “Only if I can lead,” he negotiated. Ronan’s nostrils flared. 

“Fine.” 

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I concede. Your honor is as good as your word, Lynch. Remember that.” 

Ronan let go and splashed Adam. “Who the fuck do you take me for anyway? My father?” he quipped. 

Adam smirked. He was happy enough time had passed that Ronan could joke about his father now. It had only been like that recently. He walked over and grabbed Ronan’s waist and pulled him close. He put his other hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down so their lips collided. Ronan pushed his body closer to Adam’s his hands going to Adam’s waist and combing through his hair. Ronan deepened the kiss like he always did. 

When Adam released, to grab air, he looked into Ronan’s eyes which had a lust in them. Adam leaned his forehead onto Ronan’s. 

“Let’s go,” he breathed. 

Ronan did not have to be told twice. The two of them scampered out of the river and onto a patch of grass that was in the shade. Adam gently pushed Ronan onto the grass and straddled him. He leaned down and started to press kisses to his jawline, where stubble was starting to grow in. Ronan let out a moan of pleasure, eliciting a reaction inside Adam. Adam continued to pressed kisses and love bites into his neck, his chest and planned on going down further and doing more. 

But suddenly he felt the disturbance of someone entering the borders of Cabeswater. It was the forest telling him to check it out. Adam let out a groan of annoyance, which immediately snapped Ronan’s head up. 

“God damn it,” Adam muttered. 

He got off of Ronan. Ronan knew what was up as well. 

“Why does this happen all the fucking time?” he complained as he leaned back down into the grass. The heat of the moment was definitely over. A minute later Ronan stood up and joined Adam in getting re-dressed. 

“Well, we’ll just have to make it up later,” Adam told him with a smirk on his face. 

Once they were dressed, Adam knelt to the ground and put his palm onto it. He closed his eyes and allowed the ley line’s energy to hum through his body and tell him where it was he needed to go. Thankfully it was close to here. 

They both mounted their horses and made their way back into the pasture. Ronan glanced up, which made Adam follow. Something was in the sky, and it was coming closer. When it came down to them, it was a beautiful bluebird. It’s feathers vibrant blue and orange. It let out a chirp and flew around Ronan’s head like it was excited to see him. Ronan let out a small smile. 

“That’s Matty’s bird. He’s here,” Ronan informed. 

Adam nodded. And they both flicked the reins of their horses to a gallop back through the woods of Cabeswater. Adam led the way with the bluebird following them. Finally, Adam came to a halt, and standing in the clearing looking every part of fae he is, was Matthew. Ronan’s younger brother. 

Ronan jumped off his horse and practically ran to Matthew. Matthew beamed like the sun when he saw Ronan and engulfed him in a bear hug. Matthew was nearly the same height as Ronan, but twice as wide. Ronan ran a hand through his blonde curls and whispered something into his ear. 

Adam slowly joined them, having both horses’ reins in his hand. When the two brothers released, Matthew smiled at Adam. 

“Adam!” he exclaimed then came in for a tight hug with him. Using his free arm, he wrapped it around Matthew as far as he could. 

“Good to see you, Matthew,” Adam greeted. 

“What brings you here?” Ronan asked once the exchanges were over. 

Matthew’s blue eyes lit up. “I come here bearing a message. But I’m also happy to visit my brother too. Can we go back to the Barns?” 

Ronan nodded. “Of course.” 

Then he jumped onto his horse again, and Adam followed. He noticed Matthew had his own horse as well, golden in color. Which matched Matthew’s soul. They made their way to the Barns. 

The summer home of Ronan’s family, which is west of the palace. It is a simple looking place, but it holds an element of serenity that the palace does not. It is in an enclosed private place in the forest of Cabeswater. Once they reach the home, they all let the horses roam free on the gated property and they all go inside. 

When they are all settled on cushions in their atrium with cups of tea, Matthew hands the message along to the two of them. It is rolled up in a piece of parchment. Ronan takes the message and unveils it and reads it quickly. When he is finished he hands it to Adam to read as well. 

It is a message from Columbia, specifically Delcan, Ronan’s older brother. The prince of the kingdom. Adam found it interesting that Delcan was not given the title of heir to the throne as being the oldest male in the family. But he had abstained and gone to the mortal world instead to live his life, as he did not feel welcomed. That is what he told Adam anyway. He did not know the exact story, as this was before his time. He married Princess Ashley of Columbia, becoming the prince of the neighboring mortal kingdom to the northwest.

Once Adam finished reading the message, he gauged the look on Ronan’s face. It was pinched up in wariness and bitterness. The two brothers were still estranged from each other. 

“It would be like Declan to send you,” Ronan finally said. 

Matthew’s lips were pursed together and he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, he didn’t know how else to get the message to you. If he had sent his hawk, would you honestly have read his message?” 

For all his childlike exuberance, Adam often forgot that Matthew was just as intelligent as the other two Lynch brothers. He was observant, and he knew his brothers like the back of his hand. Adam was sure Ronan often forgot about that too. 

Ronan crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent, which was the confirmation Matthew needed. He nodded his head. 

“Exactly.” 

“How did Declan even find out about the treaty with Cardiff anyway?” Ronan finally asked. 

Matthew gave a sly smile and he looked at Adam. “You have Adam as your spy for Cabeswater, but Declan has some of his own as well. You mutually keep tabs on each other secretly, though it’s not so discreet. Especially when Adam shows up in the streets of Columbia.” 

“So Delcan finally decided he gives a shit about this place?” Ronan huffed. “What makes him the expert on being cautious with what I decide to do?” 

Matthew took a sip of his tea before placing the porcelain cup on the low table. “I don’t know much about politics, but I think he’s right. You have to be careful when it comes to making alliances.” 

“I’m not a fucking moron,” Ronan defended. Matthew was quick to agree. 

“Of course not! But it just seems...weird that Cabeswater would make an alliance with a mortal kingdom after we had been isolated for so long. It turns heads is all I’m trying to say.” 

Adam turned the words in his head. And nodded. “I’m inclined to agree with them, Ronan.” 

A flicker of betrayal went across Ronan’s features. Adam rolled his eyes at his dramatics. “Get over yourself, Ronan. Your brothers are right. There is a mutual distrust between fae and mortals. We need to proceed carefully in the next coming months. Which is also why I told the prince I would read over the treaty before we do anything hasty. I can sense trickery from a mile away.” 

Ronan huffed. “Why are you so goddamn clever?” he muttered to himself. Which was an agreement in Ronan speak. 

Matthew quickly changed the topic of conversation. “Are you planning on going to the Summer Solstice gala this year?” 

Both Adam and Ronan raised their eyebrows at Matthew. Adam took a sip of his tea, which had cooled significantly. The two of them don’t partake in events like that ever. It was half the reason why people still thought the Greywaren was just a myth. Only Adam ever went to these things, and it was on missions for the kingdom. But it had been a long time since he went to a Summer Solstice gala.  

“Vulpea is hosting it this year,” Matthew added. 

“We don’t go to those things,” Ronan told him. 

Matthew let out a long sigh, which reminded Adam of a child. Matthew was a curious being. He leaned back on the ground for a moment before sitting back up. He ran a hand through his golden curls. 

“I know that, but I was hoping you would this year for once.” 

“I don’t like doing that shit, and you know it.” 

“Yeah because you’re a hermit,” he said back. He tried to make it sound like an insult, but nothing ever sounded mean coming out of Matthew’s mouth. 

“I have a reputation to keep up, Matty.” 

Matthew scoffed. “Yeah? And what’s that Ronan?” 

Ronan puffed out his chest playfully. “I’m the elusive Greywaren. The mythological ruler of Cabeswater, the kingdom of the fae. No mortal dare come into my kingdom without the intention of never coming back,” he decreed. 

Adam rolled his eyes, and Matthew laughed. Ronan had a small smile on his face, content to make Matthew happy. 

“Well, you know since you decided to let the prince and princess of Cardiff out scot-free with the hopes of an alliance, you aren’t as elusive as you used to be. This could be your introduction to the world. Show them the might of Cabeswater if you will,” Matthew convinced. 

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “He’s right, you know.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be loyal to me?” Ronan asked with mock hurt. 

Adam pushed Ronan’s arm causing the man to tilt. 

“I’m loyal to Cabeswater, which in turn means with you. But not just exclusively you; arrogant much?” Adam chided.

“Anyway, going to these things is always so boring alone. I’d finally be able to have someone to make fun of mortals with. There is no true harm in going to this. Plus, it’s in Vulpea. If there’s a kingdom to trust, it’s this one.” 

The two of them stared at each other for a long time. Then Ronan looked away and closed his eyes. He let out a curse. Adam smiled. 

“Fine,” he conceded, “we’ll go to this stupid Summer Solstice gala.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! I'm sorry you had to read my pathetic attempt of writing some...very light smut because I am horrible at writing it and usually avoid it when I can. This was a fun chapter to write because we introduced some more characters into the universe. 
> 
> In case anyone wanted to know why I chose the name of Henry's home kingdom and its capital as I did, is because Xia is the name of China's first dynasty, and Joseon is a famous Korean dynasty. And Henry is half Chinese, and half Korean in canon if I recall correctly. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated by me and are encouraged. If you want to talk to me about this story, you can always find me on Tumblr under magicianparrish. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhh boy. This is a monster of a chapter. A lot of characters are introduced, and a lot of shit goes down. I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> This was not edited or beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

The Summer Solstice gala was regarded as the last event of a week-long celebration. It was held in a different kingdom every year; last year it was in Cardiff, the year before, Columbia. Most royals and nobles from the neighboring kingdoms came at the beginning of the week, to share in the full extent of the festivities. Ronan did not want to do that; he wanted to interact with the mortal world as little as possible. And Adam was privy to that idea as well, even if it was being held in the kingdom that had held him as one of their own in the Before Times. So the two of them decided to show up on the last day of the week-long celebration. 

It took a few days journey to the heart of Vulpea by horseback from Cabeswater. Ronan and Adam didn’t mind the length, because they just camped out in the open fields or forests that were on their way. Adam would put a protective spell around the campsite, and then they would lay on the ground and watch the stars travel across the sky in peace. Ronan absolutely loved it. 

When the arrived in the capital of Vulpea, they entered right into the middle of the peasant celebrations. The sun was shining high in the sky, with no clouds to cover it. Ronan felt the sweat pooling on his skin and in his clothes. There was music being played, and the peasant folk was dancing around. Sometimes chaotically and then organized couples and line dances next. The scent of food cooking and being sold permeated the air around them. And mead was being splashed around in mugs as people cheered to another good season and chugged it straight. A good drink would be refreshing, Ronan thought. But mortal alcohol was always subpar to the mulled wine of the fae. 

As they made their way through the town square on their horses, they tried to stay inconspicuous. Even in the heat, Adam had a deep green cloak covering his shoulders and his hood up over his eyes. Ronan did not bother but refused to look at the others. They ended up catching the attention of the peasants they passed anyway. 

Ronan knew that showing up to the festivities late like they did was bound to grab the attention of the people. It was obvious that they were not part of the peasantry, by the way they rode in on horses, and the saddles they sat upon. Even the clothing they wore designated them noble or royal. But no one knew what the Greywaren looked like; they had no reason to suspect Ronan to be him.  

There were still whispers anyway. Nothing dramatic happened; the music did not stop playing, and the drunk men and women did not stop drinking and galavanting about themselves. The festival kept going, but those closest to him and Adam took notice and leaned into one another to whisper into the ears about them. Ronan did not care for that at all, so they kept going. 

Adam led the way through the streets of Vulpea’s capital because he knew where he was going. Ronan had only been to the kingdom once before, many years ago. It was when his relationship with Adam had just started and was still in the beginning stages. A lot can change in a few decades. 

As they got further from the capital square, the music faded into the background, and only a few stragglers were left to gawk at them as they walked by on their horses. Ronan didn’t know much about mortals, and he didn’t know if they could sense the otherness of their auras. Mortals were an enigma to Ronan. 

Adam often tried to teach him all he knew about the mortal world and the way they lived. As someone who had spent nearly the first hundred years or so of his life in the mortal world, he knew a thing or two, Ronan would say. But no matter what, Ronan just did not understand it. He didn’t understand why his older brother would ever want to live in the mortal world instead of the sanctuary of Cabeswater. There was a fundamental difference between the two brothers. 

The thought of Declan reminded Ronan that he would most likely be at the gala tonight. Almost all the royals and nobility of the neighboring kingdoms showed up to these things like clockwork. Ronan did not want to have a talk with his brother if he could stand it. But it seemed it would be inevitable. At least he would have Adam to voice his disdain with him. That thought made a smirk for on his face. 

“What’s got you smirking?” Adam asked, breaking Ronan out of his thoughts. 

Ronan turned towards Adam, who still had his hood up. But he could see the glint of his white teeth underneath it. Ronan could practically see the eyebrow raised in the shadow of the hood. 

“Thinking about how uncomfortable we’re going to make Declan when we see him,” he told Adam. 

Adam barked out a laugh. He threw his head back so far, his hood slipped off. It revealed his golden hair that was getting on the longer side, grazing his jawline. The silver circlet he wore on his head also shined under the sun. Ronan loved when Adam laughed like this. With no hesitations or restrictions. 

Ronan remembered when Adam first found him. He had been quiet and reserved. A chip on his shoulder against the entire world. The first time he had seen Adam laugh, he had almost missed it. It had been like a whisper in the wind. He had raised his hand to hide his mouth, the only indication that he had been laughing was the quacking of his shoulders. 

He loved how much they influenced and helped each other. He would never get tired of that, no matter how many years passed. 

When Adam finally caught his breath again, he looked over at Ronan. His sky blue eyes bright with mirth. “Of course that would bring you joy,” he teased. 

“Well, it obviously brought you something pleasant as well, if your laughter is any indication,” Ronan shot back with a smile. 

Adam shrugged his shoulders in response. “I do wonder if his wife will be here. Given that she is pregnant and all. It’s quite a journey to make.” 

Ronan shuddered at the very idea of Declan having a child of his own. It was part of what Matthew had told them when he came to deliver the message a month ago. He didn’t ever think Declan would be the type to have a family. He had never seemed remotely interested. But, he did have a sense of duty that hinged on hindering. And Ronan knew that a part of being a prince meant fathering heirs to the throne to keep the familial lineage.

Ronan knew that pretty fucking well. He had harbored the thoughts over the years. Having a family with Adam seemed like a perfectly ideal life to Ronan. And to some extent he did. They had Opal, the little satyr girl who liked to come in and out of their lives fleetingly when she chose, and who loved them. But she didn’t seem to age and was more of her own entity than a child to raise. So it was not nearly the same. Ronan wanted a family. But he knew the basics of how life worked, and it did not take two men to create it. And therefore he did not know how to start one anyway. Because of that, he often threw those thoughts to the back of his mind. Just like he was doing now. 

Apparently, he had been deep into his own thoughts for a while now, because when he finally started to pay attention again, they were walking towards the gates that led to the palace of Vulpea. 

When the approached, the two guards who were manning the entrance, stopped them by crossing their long range spears in an X formation. Ronan and Adam stopped their horses immediately. 

Ronan knew of the infamous Dahomé Warriors of Vulpea. The elite all-female military unit that protected the kingdom from unwanted visitors. They were widely known throughout all the kingdoms for their skill and precision and the fact that they were all women. 

The two warriors stood tall and menacing, immediately earning Ronan’s respect. They wore striking red leather armor, that covered all parts of their body. It was hued with browns and golds and allowed for fluid movement. The warrior on the left had her black hair styled in miniature braids and then plaited into one large one that went down and over her shoulder. She wore a leather circlet lined with bronze. Her brown eyes held a fire, and her dark skin glowed under the sun. 

“Halt. State your business,” she demanded, her voice rough. 

Adam cleared his throat. “We are here for the Summer Solstice gala.” 

The warrior’s brown eyes narrowed at Adam and scrutinized Ronan for a moment. She did not seem convinced. Ronan wouldn’t have either. 

“Who are you?” she asked finally, her voice still had a sharp edge to it. 

Adam still looked calm as a breeze though. His blue eyes placid as he gazed upon the two warriors. 

“I am an old friend of the Rulers,” he claimed.

The two warriors glanced at each other. They seemed to be skeptical of Adam, but Adam didn’t seem deterred by it at all. 

“Prove it.” 

Adam simply nodded his head. Ronan watched him shift on his Appaloosa horse, as he leaned to grab an old worn, leather bag. It held the mysterious cards that he used to communicate with the ley line and forest of Cabeswater. Ronan never understood the cards, and he just left Adam to do his thing. Adam pulled out the deck of tarot cards and shuffled them with the ease of a seasoned master. Then he picked the top one off the deck and flipped it over to show the guards. 

Ronan knew it was the Magician. It was quite literally his calling card, and the reason he is referred to as the Magician in the first place. The two warriors leaned in to get a closer look at the card, and when they saw it, both their eyes widened like they recognized it. 

“I am the Magician,” Adam announced, then he gestured to Ronan, “and he is the Greywaren. We come to represent the Kingdom of Cabeswater. It’ll be nice to be let inside now.” 

The two warriors released their blockade and nodded. The warrior who had spoken to them turned to the other warrior guard. She was also in the red and brown leather armor. Her hair was light blonde and styled high at the crown of her head and then plaited down. She stood up straight. 

“Apollonia, take them to the Rulers,” she commanded. 

“Of course, Commander Amaka,” she responded with a bow, she also crossed her right arm, which held her spear over her chest. Then she turned to them. 

“Follow me.” 

The gates opened, and they followed the warrior named Apollonia. She strode with wide steps. Ronan eyed the spear she carried in her hand. He could feel the energy emanating from it, filled with the power of the ley line. It would make for a deadly weapon if used right. And Ronan had a feeling these Dahomé Warriors knew how to use them. 

They dismounted off their horses, and more women came to take them to the stables and grabbed their things as well to put them wherever they would be residing for the night. Ronan hated that he had to stay overnight anywhere that was not his home. 

Then they still followed Apollonia and they entered the palace. The indoors was a welcome relief to Ronan who had had enough summer sun to last him a while. He could feel his skin burning red from the exposure. While Adam only looked to be tanner. The lucky bastard. 

They came to a large doorway, and Apollonia met up with other Dahomé Warriors. They talked in hushed whispers before they opened the door. Ronan did not miss the curious glances they sent towards them. 

The throne room beyond the doors is exactly how Ronan remembers it. And he did not remember it with fondness. It is dark, with little windows to let in natural sunlight, so unlike his own throne room. It was smokey, and it smelt of strange herbs that heightened their witch powers. 

In the middle of the room, were the Three Rulers. There were no actual thrones, instead, the three women were sitting in a circle around a glass table that had a chasm in the middle, that let out the vapors that filled the room. He watched as they all huddled close together. The door behind him shut quietly to give privacy. None of the women had noticed them yet. 

It wasn’t until a few minutes later when one of the witches felt their presence. It was the blonde one, the one who was a fae who lived in the mortal world. She straightened her back, her blonde hair like a giant puffy cloud around her. She turned around to face them, and when she saw them a graceful smile slid across her face. She then stood up and gracefully floated to Adam. Adam met her and they hugged tightly. 

Ronan knew she was the one who had helped Adam find his way. It was her deck of tarot cards he carried on him and used after all. A parting gift of some sort. Adam felt very strongly and very fondly about her. And Ronan respected that and was secretly grateful for her, and the other two for taking care of him before he could. 

The other two witches had noticed Persephone moving and soon realized what was happening. The leader of the state, Maura hugged Adam next, followed by the Grand General of the Dahomé, Calla. 

“Oh Adam, you have not aged a day since the day you left,” Maura cooed. 

Even in the dim light, Ronan could see the flush coloring Adam’s cheeks. He had to stop himself from scoffing. Instead, he just crossed his arms over his chest. Calla noticed and mirrored him. Her clothing and dress were the same color as the Dahomé red. 

“It seems the snake hasn’t changed either,” she snidely commented. She turned to Adam an eyebrow raised on her face. “Why did you choose him again?” 

Adam stepped closer to Ronan, so their arms were touching. Ronan let his arms dangle, so he could grab Adam’s hand and lace their fingers together. Adam shrugged his shoulders and had a shy smirk. 

“We can’t choose who we fall in love with. Right, Maura?” he responded turning to the head woman. 

The dark-haired woman rolled her brown eyes but had a small smile on her face. She really did look like an exact copy of her daughter, the Princess, just older with streaks of gray in her hair and crows feet. Or...the Princess looked exactly like Maura. She tucked a strand of her short hair behind her ear. It was cropped to her jawline and her fringe covered most of her forehead. 

Before Maura could respond, Persephone stepped up and her light skin wrapped around Adam’s tan wrist. Her brown eyes were practically black as she looked at Adam. 

“We must scry now that you are here. Four is not ideal, but it shall do,” she said. Her voice was soft like a whisper in the wind. 

Adam nodded and let himself be carried by the fae towards the glass table. Adam shot Ronan an apologetic look before sitting down in between Maura and Persephone. Ronan took it upon himself to walk over to one of the many pillars in the room and lean against it. He was close enough to see the large bronze bowl that was filled with a dark liquid. It was covering the chasm that allowed the smoke to billow through, so it was instead finding its way through the sides.

Ronan watched as Adam nodded silently at them before they all linked hands with each other and leaned forward towards the bowl together. Ronan had seen Adam scry a couple of times. And each time it never failed to make him extremely uncomfortable. He did not like seeing Adam’s soul leave his body and enter some aether. It unnerved him and now was not any different. 

But watching him do it, always makes Ronan realize just how truly powerful his husband really is. Adam had a way with the ley line that not even Ronan could fathom having. He could control it, and he helped it stay on track to emit the perfect amount of energy. The way he could control elements with the snap of his fingers and the way the forest and other plant life responds to his whims. Ronan may be the Greywaren and a full fae, but Adam is much more powerful.      

When they all finally exited the trance, they all jerked back into their bodies at the same time. For a moment they all looked disoriented. Adam shook his head slightly and ran a hand through his hair, but getting it tangled in the silver circlet he wore. He watched as they all glanced at each other, seeming to speak a secret language that Ronan did not understand. Then they all huddled close and talked in hushed whispers. 

After a few minutes, Ronan got annoyed. He made his presence known by clearing his throat obnoxiously. Adam responded first, of course, an annoyed look on his face. Ronan shrugged his shoulders. 

“Mind telling me what just happened?” he asked. It was more of a demand. 

They all shared another one of those secret witch glances. Ronan groaned and rolled his eyes. “For the fucking love…” he exclaimed. 

Adam held a hand up. “Ronan, relax,” he sighed. 

Then he turned his body towards Ronan. He was still sitting down with his legs crossed, and his hands in his lap. Ronan didn’t like looking down on Adam so much so he sat down across from him. Adam smirked, but then it dropped. 

“We were looking for any clues about the whole ley line situation.” 

“So what did the future say?” he asked. 

Adam let out a sigh again. He shrugged his shoulders. “The future was unclear, as it tends to be.” 

From behind he saw Persephone smile softly. Like she was proud of him; her star pupil. 

Adam bit his lip and ran a finger over his jawline as he thought more deeply on the matter. “But, something didn’t feel right.” 

The three Rulers nodded their head in agreement. 

“I advise we all keep a watchful eye out at our gala tonight. Something wicked this way comes,” Persephone warned. 

 

* * *

 

The gala was held as the sun started to make its way across the western sky towards the horizon. After the initial meeting and the parting with Persephone’s cryptic words, Ronan and Adam were escorted to a room which they were to reside in for the coming stay. When they had entered, Adam immediately recognized it as the same room he had lived in during his time at the palace.

Ronan had watched as a grimace came over his face, as he took in the room. It was simple looking. With a bed on the far end of the room up against a wall and a single window that allowed the sun to be let in, but velvet curtains were currently blocking it. A small closet where, when Ronan opened it, saw all their clothes and toiletries were put neatly away. Another door in the room led to a washroom, which Ronan was grateful for. He did not want to fancy the idea of having to use communal ones, especially in a palace where women overran the place to begin with. He also did not want to have to share with mortals. 

Adam had eventually dragged Ronan to their bed, and initiated the first kiss. Ronan found Adam could be very convincing, but Ronan would not complain. He was more than happy to oblige. 

They had laid in bed afterwards for what seemed like a while. Adam was resting his head on Ronan’s chest. Ronan was idly combing his fingers through Adam’s silk hair. It was peaceful. He felt Adam shift and finally sit up, the sheets pooling down to his hips. 

“We should probably get ready,” he suggested. 

Ronan sat up as well, and leaned into Adam’s freckled shoulders and placed a tender kiss on them. “Or we don’t have to.” 

He heard Adam let out a huff, and glared playfully at Ronan. He shrugged Ronan off his shoulders. “We did not just travel four days and three nights just to stay in this room, Ronan. Come on, let’s get up and ready.” 

Adam let the sheets completely fall off his body and stood in front of Ronan in his full glory. He held out a hand and raised an eyebrow at Ronan. 

Like he said, Adam was a pretty good convincer. 

It didn’t take long for them to get ready. Ronan dreaded having to dress in his finest clothes, which resembled much more to the mortal fashion than his own. It was not his taste, but Adam had quietly insisted. So Ronan had put on the stupid articles of clothing that instituted as ‘fashion’. It was terribly constricting. 

Adam had come out of their closet, wearing a color scheme of green and brown hues. He had a dark green tailcoat that was cropped short and adorned with silver buttons. Underneath was a brown waistcoat with leaves and vines decorating it, though constricting, looked great on Adam and a white light shirt underneath with brown trousers that also stuck close to Adam’s legs, which Ronan appreciated. 

His golden hair had been styled back nicely and out of his face for once, showing off the silver circlet that showed his position of prestige. Ronan himself had a golden one on his head, though it didn’t look nearly as nice on his closely cropped hair. 

Both of them were dressed in greens. Adam’s was more dark like the shadows of leaves, where Ronan’s looked more like the fresh grass that covered the hills of their kingdom and forest floors. It was also a symbol of their status as social fae, who identified by wearing greens and browns. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Ronan sighed. 

Adam linked his arm within Ronan’s and smiled. “Perhaps you’ll find yourself enjoying this gala.” 

“Very doubtful.” 

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Well, at least you have me.” 

That much was true. 

Ronan let Adam lead them out of their room and navigate the way through the palace. As they got closer to the ballroom where the gala would be happening, the chatter of people became louder. Adam took them through a way that helped them stay in the shadows, which Ronan was grateful for because he did not want to draw any more attention than was necessary. He did not want the feel the mortals’ gazes on him and Adam the entire night. 

When the entered the ballroom, Ronan found himself impressed by it. It was a large room, that had a domed ceiling that arched high above the floor. On the ceiling was a beautifully ornate fresco of a story he was sure was part of the mythos of Vulpea that he was not familiar with. The columns that lined up the long sides of the room were made up of a gray marble that had had veins of black running up it. Carved from the marble was the images of leaves, flowers and vines wrapping and intertwining around themselves. On the wall facing the horizon, were large stained glass pieces, vibrantly colored and in exquisite detail of certain cards from a tarot deck. It was very reminiscent to the deck that Adam had in his possession; Ronan wondered quietly if these pieces influenced the design of his cards. 

Through the stained glass murals, the sun shone through them. This caused a multitude of colors to reflect onto the beautiful mosaic dance floor which looked like the currents of an ocean. Vulpea paid a significant homage to the nature that surrounded them. Ronan put his hand into the trajectory of the sunlight, watching his pale skin turn a vivid blue and green. 

He felt Adam clasp his other hand over the one they had intertwined. Ronan looked away from the dancefloor and towards him. Adam gave a reassuring nod. 

“We’ll be fine.” 

Ronan mostly believed him. He leant down and snatched a quick kiss from Adam, who hummed in response. Before he could deepen it, Ronan broke away and observed the sea of people who covered the dancefloor. Idle chatter could be heard between all the nobles and royals of the kingdom. No doubt making connections and alliances of all sorts; setting up marriage proposals for their children, discussion treaties and whatever other political things need to be done. 

They stood off the the sides content to watching the mortals do their thing. Occasionally one of them would lean in and make a snide comment, which caused snickering. 

“You’d think, if that mustache got any pointier, it would pierce someone,” Adam whispered, gesturing to the stout man, whose facial hair was bigger than anything else on him.

Ronan smirked and raked his eyes across the floor nodding his head towards another man who was also short, but with a large black top hat. Mortals were much shorter than fae, and yet it was still the common misconception that they were tiny. Ironic. 

“I think that man is either hiding a leprechaun under that hat of his, or he is trying to compensate for something,” he quipped. 

Adam threw his head back in laughter, not being able to contain it to his his quiet snickering. A few mortals looked their way, and Ronan could see the disdain and questioning glances on their faces. Ronan glared and bared his teeth at them in response. One man’s green eyes widened and he let out a quick yelp before turning back to his conversation. 

“Well, I did not think I’d ever see you at a mortal event, but the unease of them led me to you two, snickering about in the shadows,” a deep voice came from behind them.

Ronan felt his back stiffen as he heard his brother’s voice. He clenched his teeth and the two of them turned to face Declan. He was wearing a similar getup to both Ronan and Adam, which only made Ronan angry and annoyed. The colors of his brother’s though were a deep purple and blue. His black hair had been severely cut to form an undercut and the rest of his hair was gelled slick back. The same ice blue eyes that all the brothers possessed stared cooly back at him. The only advantage was that Ronan was taller than Declan.  

“Declan, a pleasure as always,” Adam greeted with little interest. 

Delcan looked at Adam with equal disdain. The two men never fully trusted one another, but there was a sliver of grudging respect from at least Declan’s side. He knew how powerful Adam was, and he knew what he meant to Ronan. 

“Adam,” he greeted. “Surprised to see you brought company with you this year. Normally you hide in the shadows before submerging into them to tell my brother about me.” 

Adam clasped his hands behind his back. “You have Matthew to thank for this one. He’s the one who convinced Ronan to come.” 

Declan nodded his head. “Matthew can convince anyone to do anything, if he wielded that power of his.” 

A tense silence came across the three of them. Then Declan cleared his throat to say something else. 

“I assume then, that Matthew told you the news about Ashley and I?” he prompted. 

Ronan scoffed. “Yes. I already feel bad for that child, and they haven’t even been born yet.” 

Declan bared his teeth and glared at Ronan. Ronan preened at the attention from his brother’s animosity. He knew Declan was not above throwing down to a fight, but he knew he would not do it in such a public place, especially now that he had the title of Prince of Columbia. 

“Still just as much as an insuffrable shit head as I remember,” he grit. He turned towards Adam who had a blank expression. “Aren’t you supposed to rein him in?” he huffed. 

Adam raised his eyebrows at Declan. “That is not my job; though I wonder why you think that?”

Ronan could kiss Adam for his intelligent wit. He had backed Declan right into a corner with his rhetorical question. He knew Declan wouldn’t be able to answer without somehow offending the two of them, and creating a scene. So he kept quiet. He watched Delcan pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“She’s due in three weeks,” he continued. 

“That’s great,” Ronan deadpanned. 

He did not know why Declan was telling him this. They weren’t the sharing type. Ronan didn’t tell Declan that he had married Adam, but just waited until they encountered one another to reveal it. Ronan did it just to see Declan sputter; it had been a great sight. 

Declan let out a deep sigh. “I had been mulling it over recently. I think if it is a girl, we’d name her Aurora, and Niall for a boy.” 

He felt Adam stiffen next to him. Ronan felt frozen in place, trying to process the words his brother had just uttered. Then he felt a wave of anger crash down over him. He pointed a finger and pushed it into Declan’s chest. 

“How dare you,” he accused. “You do not have the right to claim those names as your own.” 

Declan opened his mouth to say something, but Ronan interrupted him before he could. He got into his brother’s face. 

“You turned your back to Cabeswater and our line when you left to live in the mortal world. You married a mortal woman for fuck’s sake.” 

Declan waved his hand towards Adam. “You married a mortal too,” he countered. 

“He is a sidhe raised by mortals. There is a big difference,” Ronan defended. 

He hadn’t realized they had started to talk in their native tongue. Declan shook his head and ran a hand over his face. 

“It was just a thought, Ronan. Nothing is set in stone,” he sighed. 

Ronan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You harbored those thoughts. You don’t get to have them. You fled when they were killed, like the coward you are.” 

Declan’s eyes met Ronan’s. He could see the temper flaring inside of his brother, the fire in his eyes. “Everything I have ever done was to protect you and Matthew. I was the child they didn’t love. You had dad’s favor, and Matthew had mom’s. I had no ones. I ran off to the mortal world so that you could have protection from the outside instead of being completely isolated and defenseless.” 

“We don’t need that,” Ronan snarled.

Declan scoffed. “For all the shit you give mortals, you do not give them enough credit. They are not as powerful, as sidhe, true. But some of them are conniving and cunning. They know what they want and how to get it. It was how they got our parents!” 

Ronan knew exactly how his parents had died. He had been the one to find them on the edge of Cabeswater. His father beaten and bludgeoned to death, and his mother nearly unrecognizable with black veins going up through her body and face from poison. It had taken him decades to reconcile with that. It had taken Adam to finally move on. And now his brother was dragging up these memories from the depths of his mind. 

Declan shook his head, looking at the floor. “I don’t know what Dad did, but it was enough for mortals to hide in the edge of our kingdom and wait for them to leave, before killing them. They had no protection from the outside to warn them. Even mom’s power as Dad’s Magician did not save them. I left and gave up my power so that you could have what they didn’t. To save you from the same fate.”

Ronan did not know how to respond. He had never seen Declan look so uncomposed before. Even in the wake of their tragedy, he didn’t act or look like this. Declan finally put a hand on Ronan’s shoulder, and he didn’t shake him off. He squeezed it. 

“I’ll mull over on the names some more. I didn't mean to offend. But  _ please _ , keep an eye out,” he pleaded, “you are more vulnerable in the mortal world than in Cabeswater.” 

Then he left to go mingle among the mortals again. Leaving Adam and Ronan alone in the shadows of the room. Adam stepped closer and wrapped his arm around Ronan’s waist, just watching. He knew Adam understood what they had talked about. He had become fluent in the fae language. During the talk, he hadn’t noticed that the gala had officially begun. 

Music was playing in the ballroom, echoing inside the chamber. Food and drink were being served by caterers. He watched as mortals took the flutes of whatever mead or alcohol was inside and down them fast. It did not seem very noble to do, considering he had seen the peasantry do the same earlier. He felt Adam tug on the sleeve of his coat. 

“Let’s try and not look suspicious,” he whispered. 

Ronan nodded his head. They entered the dancefloor. A server came up to them with a silver tray filled with food. Adam’s eyes lightened as he took some off the tray and thanked them before they scurried off to another pair of nobles. He took a pink shrimp off the glass that was filled with sauce and dipped it, eating it quickly. Adam smiled holding it out for Ronan to eat too. He was always suspicious of mortal food, but if Adam was eating it so willingly then he would too. Plus he was starving. He popped a shrimp in his mouth. Ronan did not like the fact that it was cold, but it still was good anyway. They finished it off and Adam flagged another servant to take it away before politely thanking them again. 

“You’re too polite to the servants. This is their job,” Ronan told him. 

Adam rolled his eyes. “Well, I had been one of those servants, once upon a time. I know I would’ve liked some politeness when I was in their shoes.” 

All around them the skirts of the elaborate dresses of the women and the coattails of the men flowed as they all waltzed to the orchestra playing. Some more composed than others, depending on how inebriated they were at this time. Ronan figured it would only get worse as the night wore on. 

A servant who held the flutes of mead offered them at one point, but they both declined the offer. Adam, because he did not drink alcohol of any kind, and Ronan, because he found mortal mead and alcohol abysmal compared to the mulled wine of Cabeswater. It was not worth drinking. They would stick to water if they could find it. 

Adam turned to him with a smile on his face. He held his hand out, palm up. “Dance with me.” 

Ronan raised his eyebrows. “Not happening.” 

Adam pursed his lips and turned his head to the side. “We look like idiots just standing here. Come on, dance with me.” 

When Ronan remained silent, Adam rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to give up until you do it.” 

He knew Adam would keep his word. “Damn you,” he muttered under his breath, but still took Adam’s hand. 

His strong palm dragged him further into the dance floor, closer to the orchestra. Ronan figured so Adam would be able to hear the music better and keep his steps more on track. When they stopped, Adam put on arm behind his back and the other in front and bowed to him. He glanced up with a smirk and a brightness in his blue eyes. Ronan grudgingly did the same. 

Then they got into position and started to waltz. Ronan could feel the stares of the mortals as they danced. Not used to seeing two men openly dancing with each other. But Ronan did not care. He glared at everyone who did, to show how much he did not care. Adam stepped on Ronan’s foot, causing him to curse. Adam blushed. 

“Fuck, you still have two left feet,” he said. 

“Guess you’ll have to lead then,” Adam responded with a smile. Ronan rolled his eyes but obliged anyway. 

Ronan led them through a few waltzes, Adam no longer stepping on his feet. Which led Ronan to suspect he did it on purpose to have him lead the dances. He would not put that against Adam and his conniving mind. As they got more comfortable, Ronan twirled Adam, and dipped him, causing both men to laugh at each other. 

In a break between songs, he sees Adam’s face change. “Look, the Princess of Vulpea is here.” 

Ronan turned to see where Adam was looking. He did see the Princess, the daughter of Maura, and with her the Prince of Cardiff, Prince Richard. They were dancing with each other. The Prince looking and dressed up as every other white noble there. The Princess was wearing a bright yellow embroidered cloth wrapped around her hips, and going up to cover her head, and underneath a short-sleeved orange shirt to cover her breasts and torso, with a long skirt of the same yellow color. Golden bangles covered her wrists and clasped her biceps. 

Earlier, Ronan had spotted Maura was wearing the same sort of garments, in a deep and vibrant purple color, with silver embroideries. Ronan figured it must be a cultural dress. 

The two of them made their way towards the Prince and Princess. When the approached them, the Prince was the first to notice, his hazel eyes widening. He gave a quick bow to the two of them. 

“My, it is a surprise to be meeting you both here. But a pleasant one, nonetheless!” he greeted. 

“You are looking quite beautiful, this evening, Princess,” Adam complimented. 

The Princess, who had more jewelry accessorizing her face, smiled, her dark lips spreading. She bowed to Adam. “Thank you, Magician. I’ll say you clean up well yourself.” 

Adam glanced around. “Did your other friends join you on this journey as well, tonight?” he wondered. 

The Prince nodded. “Yes, No-” he started to say a name, before remembering names have power. Ronan smirked. “They are around here somewhere. I’d say finding someone to dance and bed tonight, I have no doubt.” 

Adam held out his hand towards the Princess. “Would you fancy a dance with me, Princess?” he asked her. 

She looked at Adam for a moment before clasping her tiny one in his. “Very well. Hopefully, you are a better dancer than the Prince here.” 

Adam let out a small laugh. “I cannot make that promise.” 

With that, the two of them went to the dancefloor, into the throng of people; leaving Ronan with the Prince. It was awkward. He watched as the Prince grabbed two flukes of alcohol and down them quickly in succession. Ronan arched an eyebrow. The Prince noticed and sighed. 

“These things can quickly become unbearable without Blue. Even in her own home kingdom,” he offered as a reason. 

Ronan let out a huff and crossed his arms. He watched as Adam and the Princess danced. Adam laughed at something the Princess had said to him. He was annoyed that he was left on the side. 

“Well that’s something we both agree upon then,” Ronan muttered. 

The shorter man turned to him. Ronan noticed that he was wearing a pair of glasses, something that he did not see the first time he had met him. Ronan could see that the Prince carried an aura around him, that told everyone who looked at him he was royal. That he was going to rule a kingdom one day in the future. But he did not hold the arrogance that often came with the title. 

“I’ve never seen you at these sort of things. Does Cabeswater often participate?” he wondered. 

Ronan spared a glance at the Prince. “I don’t go to them. The Magician usually goes in my wake, but stays in the shadows to observe.” 

The Prince nodded his head like what Ronan told him was stimulating conversation. Ronan figured he was probably an academic. He and Adam would get along if they had more opportunities to communicate. 

“How interesting. What made you decide to come this time around?” 

Ronan debated whether or not to tell this mortal. He seemed different than the others. He wasn’t trying to make a move on Ronan for political purposes. He just seemed to be curious about him. He sighed. 

“My brother convinced me.” 

The Prince’s eyebrows raised. “A brother? Does he live in Cabeswater with you? Or is he somewhere else. My older sister, Helen,” he started. 

Then he pointed towards a tall woman with cascading brown hair who looked bored with the man she was with. “That’s her over there. She’s married to the Prince of Britana.” 

“Riveting. And I don’t think it is any of your business knowing about my brothers. So we will leave it at that.” 

The Prince looked surprised but then he smiled and quickly nodded his head. “Oh, yes. Of course. I apologize for my candor.” 

“Your candor is something refreshing from a mortal, but it will also get you into trouble with the wrong beings if you do not check yourself before you speak,” Ronan advised. 

Ronan hesitated for a moment. “And that includes your wife. I have to emphasize the importance of having me on the throne instead of the Magician. He made peace first, but he was close to refusing, and I would’ve agreed. Not everyone is as merciful when it comes to disrespect.” 

The Prince nodded hastily like he was eager to agree. “I agree wholeheartedly. I do not know why she acted that way, to be quite honest with you. She has always had a spitfire about her, but it seemed to be much more excessive that day.” 

Ronan could relate to that. His temper was practically legendary to those who did not know him well.

“The Magician has a good one too. Though he is able to hide it so much better than anyone else. He is not a power to be trifled with as an enemy, I will say that.” Ronan had a tone of pride for his husband. 

“That is definitely something we all picked up from him. His way with magic is just truly, stunning and spectacular,” The Prince complimented. 

Ronan nodded his head. He had nothing else to contribute to this line of small talk, which was excruciating enough. Ronan was not good at small talk. Adam was much better at it when he deemed it worthy of doing. Which was not a lot of the time. 

He thought of the treaty suddenly. Ronan knew Adam would like to probably know how it’s going. Perhaps he had asked the Princess already. But, if he asked the Prince, he’d probably get brownie points with Adam for taking initiative, and actually showing he gives a shit about somethings that were not horse racing and being intimate with Adam. 

“How is our treaty coming along?” he asked the Prince. 

He watched the Prince’s face form a grimace. Ronan did not like the look of that, so he turned more of his attention to the Prince. He raised both eyebrows asking the silent question. The Prince cleared his throat. 

“It is a slow going process, unfortunately, but I do promise you it will be finished soon,” he decreed. It did seem like he was being truthful, but he was hiding something. Ronan didn’t know if it was big enough to prod for. He looked the Prince in the eyes, looking for any signs of mischief. The Prince did not seem like the kind for that. 

“It better be soon. I want my bird back.” 

 

* * *

 

“Fuck, mortals do not know how to handle their alcohol,” Ronan commented with distaste.

He had just gotten body slammed by some Lord, from some kingdom in a drunken stupor. The man had belched and clapped a hand on Ronan’s shoulder, a dopey smile on his flushed face. 

“Much apologies, young one,” he slurred out before whisking himself away into the crowd.

Adam did not look very happy either. His face was pinched in distaste of watching all the men and women giggle and hiccup their way past them. 

“If one of them throws up on me, there’s going to be a big problem,” Adam added, a sour look on his face. 

The gala was coming to a close. The sun had set a while ago, leading the servants to light the torches along the ballroom to keep it out of total darkness. The orchestra was tiring, playing much slower songs. Ronan wanted to retire to bed. And he could see Adam wanted to as well. 

Suddenly, a gust of wind came rushing through the ballrooms. The torches that had been lit, went out, encasing the entire room into total darkness. Ronan could not see anything at all. He heard the gasps of surprise coming from the drunken patrons, and the murmurs of confusion. 

Then a moment later, a giant inferno burst out the room in the middle of the ballroom floor. Ronan and Adam were close enough to feel the heat it let off. Adam dragged Ronan by the arm back to avoid being burned. Shouts erupted from the startled guests in the room. Even Ronan felt shocked by what had happened. He felt his body tense up. 

The fire burned for a minute, and it died down. Flames came protruding out and shot towards all the torches reigniting them. Then it vanished fully, and where the fire had been stood a lone figure. The mosaic floor was covered in soot from the flames. Ronan felt his heart speed up at the sight of the figure. He stayed hunched over himself before suddenly standing up straight and facing the crowd of spectators. He had an evil smile on his face as he looked on. 

He was average height, around the Prince’s. His skin was pale as a ghost, and he was ghoulish looking. His black hair was shaggy and covering his eyes, which were also black as pits. He was in tattered red clothes that were hanging off his body. 

“Fucking shit,” Ronan muttered. 

He heard Adam let out a stream of curses as well. 

In front of them was none other than Kavinsky. The malicious, solitary fae that he and Adam had exiled out of Cabeswater decades ago. And now he was back right in front of them. 

Declan’s words from earlier haunted him. Persephone’s as well. Kavinsky was a being that was as wicked as they come. And Ronan had ridden with him for a while when he had been in a very bad place of being in the aftermath of his parents’ murders.

Kavinsky’s grin widens when he spots Ronan in the crowd. He saunters over towards him, causing gasps of surprise and shock from the other mortals. They do not understand what is at stake. They would never begin to understand. 

“Well, well, well, this is such a pleasant surprise. The Greywaren in the midst of mere mortals, at a mortal celebration?” his voice was scratchy, but it echoed in the complete silence. 

If the mortals didn’t know who they were then, they did now. More gasps erupted at the revelation. Ronan never felt hatred course through his veins more than it did at that moment. 

He saw Adam step in front of Ronan, blocking Kavinsky from coming any closer to him. His face was set in stone, a glare with enough heat to start a fire on the solitary fae. When Kavinsky finally acknowledged him, it was with a look of loathing. He sneered at the sight of Adam.  

“And you brought your little bitch with you. How quaint,” he bit out. 

Adam didn’t rise to the bait. He was better than that. But Ronan did notice his scowl deepen at the words. 

“It is best if you leave and go back to whatever hell hole you came from. I won’t hesitate to go for the kill this time around, and no one will stop me from doing otherwise,” he threatened. 

Kavinsky scoffed. “I don’t think your beau would like you very much if you rack up a murder count. Murder doesn’t do well with the family, you know.” 

Ronan let out a growl of fury. He couldn't help it. Kavinsky noticed it and turned his attention to him. He was smirking. 

“Did I hit a soft spot? I’m sorry,” he taunted. 

Ronan went to step forward but was blocked by Adam’s arm. He was still glaring at Kavinsky. 

“Taunting him will get you nowhere. You are fighting a lost cause, it is best you leave things be,” Adam warned. 

Adam had hit a sore spot with Kavinsky as well. He knew the history between the two of them. And he knew Kavinsky was still bitter about it. It was obvious in the way he held himself, and Adam jumped on that opportunity to hit him where it hurt most. Adam had a ruthless streak like that. 

“It shouldn’t have been you,” he sneered at Adam. “You’re just a  _ changeling _ , abandoned by your birth parents to mortals to live a lowly mundane life. I should’ve been his Magician. A full sidhe, a powerful one. I was there when he was at his lowest.” 

“You were there, but you were only bringing him lower. He needed someone to pick him up and support. You were only there to gain the power for yourself. You’ve always been selfish. You are a solitary sidhe; not made to live in the structure of Cabeswater. What we did to you was a favor and a mercy if anything,” Adam barked. 

“You are fortunate that the Greywaren wanted exile for you. If I were in charge, I would’ve killed you,” he growled in conclusion. 

“You want to kill me so bad, changeling? I raise you the challenge of a duel. You and me,” Kavinsky challenged.

Ronan wanted to protest. But before he could say anything Adam answered for himself. Like he always would. 

“I accept,” he declared. 

Then Adam turned to all the mortals. “They shouldn’t see this happen,” he said softly. He raised his arms and made a swiping motion. He put them all under a sleeping spell. The mortals all fell to the ground and went unconscious. It was only the three of them now. 

“Adam, are you insane?” Ronan pressed. 

Adam turned towards Ronan. There was an inferno in his blue eyes. A scowl was sitting heavy on his lips. “Ronan, we were fools for letting this sidhe live the first time around. I’m not going to let us make that same mistake again if I can help it.” 

“Adam, there is a better way,” Ronan persisted. 

“Is there?” he demanded back. When Ronan hesitated Adam nodded his head firmly once as if that answered his question. “That’s what I thought.” 

A moment of hesitation flickers across his features as he looks at the ground. Then he raises his head and glances at Ronan. He looked sorry. 

“I’m sorry, Ronan. But you shouldn’t see this either,” he uttered. 

“ADAM!” he shouted. Adam raised his hand and touched the center of his forehead, rubbing a soft circle. 

Immediately darkness started to consume him. He fell to his knees, trying to resist the spell and to convince Adam this was not the way to do things. He lasted long enough for Adam to unsheath his dagger and get into place to fight before he fell dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked it! There was a change up in the fact that the entire chapter was in Ronan's pov. That is just the way the story flowed best, especially at the end. I had to make it Ronan's pov for that. Which, I am also just a little sorry about in the fact that I have you waiting now, just as the last 2 weeks of my semester come to me and keep me busy. 
> 
> In case it was not obvious, the clothing style was taken from various sources. The Dahomé Warriors you can imagine are in a mix of the Dora Milaje from the Black Panther movie, and the Amazons of Themyscira from Wonder Woman. The formal attire of the men is based on early 19th century Western fashion. Blue's is influenced by South-east Asian culture, particularly India, so the embroidered cloth was based off a Sari and her blouse a Choli; I didn't use it directly by name but that's basically what it is. I enjoy the idea of Blue being south-east Asian of some sort because I believe that she ain't white, no matter what MS says. 
> 
> The name of the Dahomé Warriors was taken from the real-life Dahomey Warriors, or the "Dahomey Amazons", a group of warrior women who lived in the African kingdom of Dahomey from circa 17th century until the end of the very beginning of the 20th century, which is now in modern-day Benin. It is also some of the influence of the Dora Milaje from Black Panther. They're pretty badass!(I'm not as creative with coming up with names, so I just modified Dahomey). 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated and encouraged by me! They keep me going to write fics for you all. You can also find me on tumblr, under the handle of magicianparrish.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it is I, back from the dead of school! I have a chapter for you all! I know it's been a while, but between finishing school and heading straight down to Disney World to start my summer job, I've had literally no time to write anything. But I had finished my outline for this chapter like a week ago, and had a day off today and was able to write it to completion! 
> 
> So I hope you all like this chapter! 
> 
> This was also not beta'd by anyone so all mistakes are mine.

Ronan woke up, but his eyes refused to open up at first. There was a pounding in his head, and his muscles ached with a soreness. He was breathing heavy. After a moment, he forced himself to open his eyes. At first, his vision is blurry, he couldn’t recount what he was seeing, and sat and got to his knees. He bowed his head down, placing his hands on the cool mosaic tiles trying to remember what happened to cause him to blackout. 

Then the memory comes rushing back to Ronan in an instant, and he bolts upwards like had been struck by lightning. Panic immediately surges into his system, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he finally took in the sight of the ballroom before him. 

“ADAM!” he shouted, hoping that he would hear him call back. 

But it was completely silent. Except for the soft pattering of footsteps, which caused him to whip around. The Prince had walked up to him, his hazel eyes also dazed in the aftermath of the duel between Adam and Kavinsky. He watched the Prince shake his head as if to expel the drowsiness and put his arms and hands out in what was supposed to be a placating gesture. He touched Ronan’s shoulder.

“Greywaren, please relax,” he coaxed. 

Ronan bared his teeth into a snarl at the Prince. He would not be taking orders from him of all people. And he wouldn’t be able to relax even if he wanted to. He needed to find Adam. Ronan let his rage consume him for a moment and felt the power inside him expel outwards, pushing the Prince airborne across the floor and onto his back. The Prince let out a groan and sat up, a look of shock on his face.

The Prince threw his hands up in surrender. The Princess had come up from behind the Prince, kneeling down next to him, making sure he was alright. When she determined he was, she glanced around with pain written all over her face. 

Ronan turned around and looked at the carnage of the aftermath. The ballroom that had been exquisite in its décor, just hours before was now tarnished. Even though the sun had risen again in the blackness that had followed Adam’s sleeping spell, the color of this place that was vibrant, seemed to dull. Like it somehow reflected the mood of the atmosphere. The beautiful mosaic floors that rippled like the ocean were filled with large cracks and scorch marks that only fire could make. The stain glass windows that filled the room with a spectrum of light were shattered. The shards of glass now stained the floor in a way that did not look right. 

He had to wonder just how bad this fight had gotten between Kavinsky and Adam if this much wreckage had occurred. Ronan was almost glad he did not have to witness it, but also furious that Adam would set himself up to fight Kavinsky alone without Ronan. 

Ronan focused on other aspects of the room. The many partygoers were still there, knocked unconscious on the ground, ignorant to the duel that had just occurred around them. The glass shards covered many of their bodies. It seemed that the only exception to this was the Prince and Princess. He turned around to eye the two of them warily, trying to get another read on the two of them. 

The Prince was now standing up again, his eyes raking across the room. His eyebrows were furrowed together tensely, and he was rubbing his thumb over his bottom lip. The Princess was carefully picking up the broken glass and carrying them in a quick pouch made from her dress. 

Ronan found it peculiar that they were the only two that had woken up from the spell the same time Ronan did. Adam was not one to do things with half effort, and he knew that Adam had put a lot of power into knocking out an entire ballroom of people, and then, even more, to put Ronan down too. Ronan then remembered who the Princess’s parents were, and thought she checked out. The daughter of a psychic and tree fae, she was more powerful than she thought of herself. 

But the Prince...the Prince was mortal. He was born from mortals and raised in the mortal world. There was nothing overly spectacular or different about him. He should have still been knocked cold to the ground by Adam’s spell. And yet, he was not. He was awake and alert and observing the scene set before him like a king would. 

Ronan shook his head of the thoughts. He did not have time to ponder such trivial things such as mortals when he had other pressing matters to attend to. He started to comb the rubble, searching for any sign that Adam was still there, and heaven hoping...alive. Panic seized him again. There were no signs at all. He could not fathom the notion of losing Adam. It would be worse than losing his parents. 

“No signs of him?” The Prince softly asked. 

Ronan shook his head. “This is all my fault,” he admitted. 

It was the truth. He did not want to think of it that way, but he knew it to be a truth. He refused to look at the Prince. To see the pity in his hazel eyes. 

“That can’t be true,” he told him back. 

Ronan scoffed and glanced up, a glare on his face. “Yes, it is. I should’ve taken the chance to kill him all those years ago when I had it.” 

Grief and regret replaced the fury inside of Ronan. A naive choice of his youth caused severe consequences now. If he had just killed Kavinsky, then he wouldn't have been able to come back and duel with Adam. It was his mistake, and now everyone else paid the price for it. 

“Then why didn’t you?” The Princess asked. Her black hair was now all disheveled. Ronan thought she looked better like that. Her brown eyes intensely looking into his own. 

He let out a sigh. “Because I was too weak to do it.” 

Ronan closed his eyes. 

* * *

 

He was back in the throne room of Cabeswater when he opened his eyes again. Ronan knew immediately he was in a flashback of his own memories. But when he looked over, he somehow saw that the Prince and Princess were with him too. They were seeing the same things he was. 

Magic, Ronan had discovered, was finicky. It always worked when you didn’t need it to and didn’t when you need it. And apparently, it decided that Ronan got to have an audience while witnessing one of his worst days since he had inherited the moniker of Greywaren. 

The Prince and Princess seemed startled to be there too. Both looked around with shock written all over their features. The Princess was openly gaping, while the Prince, kept his features more in line. 

“How is this possible?” The Prince wondered. 

“What the hell is happening?” The Princess demanded. Ronan smirked for a moment before it dropped. 

“You’re witnessing a memory,” Ronan told them. 

The Prince’s face had dropped the surprised expression and it was replaced with something akin to childlike exuberance. The Princess only arched an eyebrow in response. Ronan stalked over to them and grabbed them each by an arm, and dragged them away from the scene that was about to unfold. 

They stood to the side of the throne, which was empty. He glanced over and saw that the Princess was about to say something, so he cut her off. 

“No questions.” He left no room for arguing. 

The Princess’s mouth clamped shut, but she did not look happy about it. Ronan did not care what she thought. This was his memory, and they’d follow his rules. 

The door that led from the hallway where Ronan and Adam’s bedroom was, slammed open. A younger version of himself stalked through, a green cape flying behind him. His crown of blue roses was hanging on his head crookedly. The Ronan of then was much more unhinged and filled with uncontrollable rage than he was now. He and Adam were still fresh in their marriage at that point, working out all the kinks in the armor. 

Ronan watched as the younger version of himself slam his body into the throne. Adam then came in right on his heels. His golden hair was more unruly then, nearly reaching his shoulders and covering his eyes. He also wore greens, but they were much lighter shades than the ones Ronan wore. They still did it today. A scowl was covering Adam’s face, reminding Ronan just how angry Adam always was, and how he just kept it in check extremely well. 

“Bring the shitbag in,” Memory Ronan snarled. 

Memory Adam rolled his eyes before briskly walking across the throne room to the other side. He unlocked the door and made a gesture before coming back to stand beside Ronan. He was slouched, the way he had a chip on his shoulder against the world still written on his face. His hands were clasped tightly behind his back in fists. 

Two of the trooping fae came through the door with Kavinsky in shackles. The armored fae threw him to the ground in front of Ronan and Adam. Adam unclenched his hands and made a gesture and then roots from trees sprouted out from the ground to bind Kavinsky into place. Kavinsky watched with a sickening smirk on his face, like he couldn’t be bothered by it. Ronan had already stripped Kavinsky of his powers upon his capture. There was nothing he could do but stay put. 

Him and Kavinsky had a complicated and diabolical history with one another. Kavinsky had come into Ronan’s life just when he was at his more vulnerable; his parents had just been murdered by mortals at the border of their kingdom after a few shady deals gone south. Ronan had been the one to find their bodies, after sensing something off. He went off the rails, his grief consuming every fiber of his being. He acted out, he cut off all his hair, he got a massive tattoo that spanned the entirety of his back, and started to join the thugs of the kingdom. He raced horses down the most dangerous paths Cabeswater had to offer, drinking copious amounts of mulled wine to drown out the images and emotions whirling inside of him. 

Kavinsky had taken advantage of that. Seeking out his company, giving him all the alcohol and other drugs he could find. He had been slowly manipulating Ronan to gain power for himself as his Magician, the confidant, life long companion and second to the Greywaren. 

But then Adam had crashed into his life; quite literally. The first time Adam had ever met Ronan, he had almost run Adam over with his horse. Adam had ducked behind the bushes as Ronan skidded to a halt. He had jumped down off his horse to see the man he had almost run over. Adam had jumped back out, a glare on his face and vines curling around his arms. He pushed a finger into his chest, chewing him out for being reckless and an idiot. 

And Ronan needed someone like that in his life. So they kept each other company, first has frenemies, then as friends and then as lovers. Adam was the light that chased Kavinsky’s darkness out of Ronan’s soul. When Kavinsky had found out he had been replaced with Adam, he tried to stage a coup, kidnapped Matthew for ransom, and tried to kill them all. After his failed attempt, he ran away into hiding for years, until one of Ronan’s trooper scouts found him and dragged him back for trial. 

“So nice to see a friendly face again,” Kavinsky snarked. 

Ronan watched himself snarl in response. His teeth bared like a rabid animal ready to strike. He sat forward in the throne, his hands gripping the armrests so tightly his knuckles turned white. Veins were prominently sticking out on his arms and neck. Ronan remembers how angry he felt that day. 

“The only reason you are here is because having a trial is a formality,” Adam grit. 

Kavinsky turned his attention Adam like he had all the time in the world. He held his disdain through cool indifference towards him. He cocked his head to the side. 

“Oh, the Changeling knows customs now, does he? How nice,” he drawled out. 

The branches around him tightened, eliciting a cough from Kavinsky and a wince. Kavinsky dropped his act for a moment to glare at Adam who stood strong against it. 

“This Changeling is the Greywaren’s Magician. A position you lost for good reason,” he bit. 

Adam always knew the right words to make a wound hurt the most. Kavinsky growled and struggled against the branches that only constricted him more. Adam would not have let up his grip even if Ronan had told him to do so. 

“What are you going to do to me then?” he breathed out. 

“Kill you,” Adam immediately responded. “For all your heinous crimes against the ruling family.” 

Kavinsky tsked and shook his head. “That, is for our dear Greywaren to decide, Changeling. Not you,” he taunted. 

Ronan watched Adam grow frustrated with Kavinsky. “ _ Silentium! _ ” he shouted. 

A branch had come up to cover Kavinsky’s mouth. He then turned to Ronan, a prodding look in his eyes. He leant down closer to Ronan. 

“What are you going to do?” he asked. Then with a side glance to Kavinsky and then back to Ronan, he said in a lower voice, “tell me you will kill him.” 

Ronan watched himself hesitate. He remembers hesitating in that very moment. The darkness that he thought was expelled by Adam had left a stain on him anyway. Adam’s face morphed into one of disbelief. 

“Ronan,” he harshly whispered, his blue eyes alight with fury. “You can’t be fucking serious. There is only one answer to this question.” 

Memory Ronan shook his head looking down. “No there isn’t.” 

Adam balked, stuttering to find the right words to respond to him. Kavinsky let out a few muffled sounds. Adam clenched his teeth. 

“I said be quiet!” then he waved his hand again, and no more sound came from Kavinsky. Adam had stolen his voice. 

“Yes, there is,” he argued back. “He kidnapped your brother, tried to overthrow you and kill us all! He doesn’t deserve to live.” 

“I’m not killing him,” Ronan said softly. Then he looked up at Adam, meeting his cool fury. “I refuse to be that person. I’ll exile him instead. Keep him stripped of his powers, and banish him to the Otherworld where he will be weak and powerless.” 

Adam stood up straight again and shook his head with vigor. He glared at Ronan and then Kavinsky. “You are making a grave mistake, I hope you know that.” 

Then he turned to Kavinsky. “Joseph Kavinsky, by the jurisdiction of the Greywaren, ruler of the Kingdom Cabeswater, you will be stripped of your powers completely and exiled to the Otherworld to live out the rest of your miserable days.” 

And then turned to the troopers. “Take him away,” he demanded. 

The branches all fell except around his wrists. His voice had been given back to him. He smiled like a ghoul at Ronan who glared. 

“I’ll be back for you someday, know that I will,” he warned. 

Ronan closed his eyes, the scene melting into darkness. 

* * *

Ronan lets out a gasp when he comes back from the memory. It was taxing having to live through his biggest mistake again. To be reminded just how much he failed that that moment. To know that Adam was right all along, and because of Ronan was missing. He should have known that Kavinsky would find another way to get a hold of power. He was exactly the type of sidhe to grab power no matter the costs. Ronan was blind, and he was a fool.

Both the Prince and Princess were on their knees, catching air into their lungs as well. The Princess was the first to look up. 

“What in Vulpea’s name just happened?” she gasped. 

“I told you, you witnessed a memory of mine,” Ronan grit. 

She nodded her head. “Yeah, I got that. It was rhetorical. We watched you and the Magician argue over whether or not to kill that demon that trashed my ballroom.” 

The Prince raised a finger in the air. “I’ll repeat my question from before: how was that possible?” 

Ronan sat down and threw his hands in the air. “The magical forces that be, decided to fuck around and let you see that particular memory. Why? I don’t have a fucking clue.” 

He didn’t know how long he had been trapped in that memory for, but it had been long enough for the rest of the mortals to wake up. There was confused chatter filling the ballroom. They were all looking at the destruction with the same horror the Prince and Princess had woken up with. Slowly, they were being ushered out of the room by the vibrant red armor of the Dahomé, keeping their curious glances away. 

Across the ballroom, Ronan spotted Persephone. Her white cloud hair hanging behind her. She had a pinched expression on her face as she looked at the shattered stained glass windows; it was the most expressive he had ever seen the fae in as long as he had known her. It was because of that look on her face, that Ronan knew this was a much bigger mess than he had ever imagined. 

Calla in her matching shades of red to the Dahomé, was walking through the wreckage with a look of pure disdain on her face. Ronan was very familiar with that look, as she wore it often (at least around him), but even that was laced with the pain of seeing her palace destroyed like this. He watched her crouch down and dig through a pile of rubble for something and pick it up. She observed it carefully, but Ronan recognized the item. 

Ronan practically leapt to his feet and sprinted over. He yanked the dagger out of her hands. Calla sneered at him, but said nothing. 

“This belongs to the Magician,” he said looking down at the hilt of it. It was made of silver, with gold laced in like vines. Elegant and yet simple, just like its owner. 

Calla continued to look at him. Ronan then remembered that Calla’s special ability was to steal glimpses of the history of items she touches. He eyes her, and she arched an eyebrow in response. 

“What did you see?” he demanded. 

She shook her head and put her hands on her hips. A sigh escaped her lips. “It wasn’t all that clear. That dagger has a lot of history to it.” 

Ronan waited for her to tell more. Another sigh from her. “The battle was long and it was intense.” She made a sweeping gesture to the ballroom as if to prove her point. 

Her brown eyes looked into his, and for once she didn’t seem callous. “He put up a good and valiant fight.”

Ronan’s heart dropped at her words. The only meaning behind saying that was that Adam had died at the hands of Kavinsky during their battle. Ronan assumed it would be the perfect form of revenge for Kavinsky; strike him where it hurt the most. Kill Adam, the man who had beaten Kavinsky for the title of Magician and for the holder of Ronan’s heart. Kill Adam, and make Ronan suffer for it. 

He felt a numbness crawl inside of him. His legs felt like they couldn’t hold himself up anymore, and he buckled falling to his knees. He needed Calla to tell him though. He needed the verbal confirmation. He looked up to her from the ground. 

“Tell me, is he dead?” he asked, his voice cracking from the pain. 

She shakes her head. Relief floods him. He felt like he could breathe again, not realizing it had become hard to take in the air during those few moments. 

“The dagger didn’t have an aura of death surrounding it,” she responded. 

Ronan felt so relieved for the moment he wanted to cry out to the heavens in thanks. Calla held up a finger in warning. 

“But, that does not mean he is not still in imminent danger. That demon, whoever he is, is dangerous. And he obviously has taken the Magician with him wherever he cowers.” 

Ronan stood back up and let out a stream of curses come flying out of his mouth. He turned to the pile of rubble behind Calla and kicked it. Dust came flying into a cloud as he continued to kick and spread the debris across the ballroom. 

Of course, Adam was still in danger. He was stuck with fucking Kavinsky wherever he was hiding. Kavinsky was using him as leverage to lure Ronan into him. Whether he would keep Adam alive long enough for Ronan to see is the question to behold. Kavinsky was dangerous because he was chaotic. He lived by no moral code, except that he was selfish by his very nature as a solitary sidhe, and that he lived to ruin Ronan’s life. 

By the time he was finished kicking and cursing, the Prince, Princess their two friends as well as the other leaders of Vulpea gathered around to observe his spectacle of anger. He glared at all of them to back off. 

“Is that his name?” the Prince asked. His face was once again scrunched up, but this time it was not out of pain, but curiosity. Ronan observed that this seemed to be his natural state of being. The Prince was curious by nature, and not afraid to ask questions. 

Ronan felt his lip curl. “The fuck are you talking about?” 

The Prince did not seemed deterred by Ronan’s sharp tone of voice. “The Magician,” he said. After a pause, he continued, “Adam. Is that his name?” 

Ronan snarled at the Prince. He felt his fae powers tighten around him, the glamour pulling on him to make him more intimidating. He got up into the Prince’s face, who had to look up to him. 

“How the fuck did you know that?” he demanded. 

Names had power, and he wanted to know how the Prince had come to hold that sort of information. The Prince took a small step back, his eyebrows shooting up on his face, his hazel eyes wide. 

“It was what you shouted when you woke up. You were calling out and looking for him,” he explained. 

Ronan backed down immediately. He knew when he was in the wrong, and he did not lie. 

“And Ronan. Is that your true name?” 

That stupid prince didn’t know when to shut the fuck up. He bared his teeth in anger and made sure to look the Prince right in the eye. 

“You don’t have the right to say those names. Do not hold that power against him or me, or you’ll have hell to pay.” 

Then he made sure to look everyone else right in their eyes. “This stays between me and everyone here. You do not speak a word of this to anyone else.” 

“We’ve kept his name a secret for much longer than you’ve known him, Greywaren. Don’t you forget that,” Maura told him sternly. 

Ronan was determined to find Adam. He vowed to himself that he was going to take care of Kavinsky once and for all. No mercy this time around. He had made his mistake and it cost him dearly. He would not be fooled again. 

He told them all as such. The three rulers of Vulpea nodded their heads in unison. 

“I suggest we do a reading. Perhaps we can find some answers there. Blue, please help us,” Persephone said softly. 

No one disagreed, and they all left the ruined ballroom together.  

* * *

 

Adam woke up and he immediately noticed he was in an unfamiliar place. In front of him was a small hearth that was crackling under the power of fire. Its warmth was welcoming to Adam, but he was still hyper-aware that something had gone very wrong. The hearth was the only source of light in the place he was in, casting a dim glow to it, and it gave Adam the hint that he was inside some sort of cave.

The second thing he realized was that his hands were tied up. His fingers were interlaced with each other and tightly bound together, making it impossible for him to move his hands at all. He twisted his body to try and see if he could notice what it was that was binding his hands. It chaffed hard, but it wasn’t rough like hemp would be. He then also realized it was so tight, that he had lost feeling in his hands, and that it was crawling up his arms as well. The pricking of his skin was irritable. 

Then he came to the conclusion that this was all of Kavinsky’s doing. Kavinsky had decided to spare Adam’s life, and spirit him away from Ronan and Vulpea instead of doing the honorable thing and killing him like he vowed to do when they declared the duel. Kavinsky was a coward, and Adam hated him. 

There was no indicator to tell how long Adam had been blacked out for. He knew he had battled Kavinsky at night, and now it was once again nighttime again, if the hearth in front of him and the elongated shadows on the cave walls were anything to go by. But that didn’t tell him how many days and nights had passed for this one to be. Adam did not like the idea of not knowing how much time had passed. Adam disliked the idea of not knowing things, period. 

He hears the patter of footsteps and looks in the direction of the sound. It had come in from his good side. Adam watched Kavinsky stroll in as if he had all the time in the world. A lazy grin was spread out on his face as he sat down right across from Adam. The fire creating shadows on his already gaunt face, stretching it out into a nightmarish caricature. Adam refuses to say anything to the solitary sidhe. Kavinsky doesn’t seem to care all that much either. He watches him do a line of drugs. Adam made sure not to hide the disgust on his face as Kavinsky shakes his head and breathes in deep through his nose and lets out a loud “ _ ahhhh _ ” from his mouth.

But eventually, Adam couldn’t stand the silence. He had a burning question at the forefront of his mind that he wanted answers to. 

“Why didn’t you kill me?” he demanded finally. 

Kavinsky lets out a laugh, a full one that has him tilting back. It was manic sounding, the laugh of a madman. Exile had made Kavinsky even more unstable than before. When he was finished laughing he opened his black eyes to look at Adam. His smile was venomous. Adam’s lips curled. 

“That would’ve been so easy right?” he said, his voice sounding like a knife getting sharpened. “I didn’t kill you because I want to lure our precious Ronan in. And when that succeeds, then I’ll kill you right in front of him.” 

Adam scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Killing me is not going to get you into Ronan’s favor again. You will never become his Magician, and I think it’s best you come to terms with that, if you are capable of it.” 

His black eyes narrowed at Adam, and he sneered. But Adam still had more questions he wanted answered. He leant forward towards the hearth, towards Kavinsky. “How did you even get your powers back? We stripped them from you.” 

Kavinsky’s face was filled with nefarious delight. “There’s always loopholes if you’re willing to sell your soul. Which, is exactly what I did. Though, I barely had a soul left to give.” Another manic laugh ripped out of his throat. 

Then he focuses in on Kavinsky for the first time. He finds the aura that was surrounding the sidhe. The sidhe pulsed out blackness, so much so it was overwhelming now that Adam saw it. He couldn’t believe he did not see it sooner. His aura was practically buzzing in Adam’s ears, both his good and bad. Which only meant one thing. 

Adam felt his eyebrows rise on his head. “You sold your soul to a devil to get them back? You have to know that nothing ever good comes from doing that.” 

All Kavinsky did was shrug his shoulders in reponse. Adam shook his head in disbelief. He eyed the sidhe again. “Are you the one who’s planning on draining the ley line?” 

Kavinsky scoffs. “You talk too much.” 

Then he stood up and Adam watched as he grabbed a gag. He walked around the hearth and squatted in front of Adam. A grin was stretched out across his face. 

“Now, this seems so familiar to me, doesn’t it?” he taunted. 

He put the gag across Adam’s mouth who tried to fight it off with little victory. Kavinsky tied it tight and stood up wiping his hands and admiring his handiwork. He tapped his chin in mock thought as he sat down across from Adam again. 

“Now, what was it you said to me?” he asked to himself, “oh yeah.  _ Silentium.”  _

Adam felt the magic shimmer as the spell was placed to take his voice away. He knew that no matter how hard he screamed, no sound would come out. He hoped his glare was enough to get the signal across. 

There was a long moment of silence between the two of them again. Kavinsky was eyeing him up and down. He leant forward resting his elbow on his thigh and his cheek in his palm. 

“It seems Ronan has a type,” he declared. 

Adam wanted to protest the very insinuation of them being similar in any type of way; but his voice was stolen from him. So his protests were silent and made up of him shaking his head and squirming from his spot through his binds. 

“We,” he said, wagging his finger between him and Adam, “are very similar. And keep protesting there, Changeling. It’s fucking true.” 

“You are a piece of work. Truly you are,” the way he said it made it seem like it was a compliment. “You have been lying about who you are for the entire time Ronan has known you, and no one has even suspected a thing.” 

Adam jerked his head forward, wishing he could curse Kavinsky out. He wished he could kill him already to get him out of the way as a threat. Kavinsky then stood up and started to pace and fidget like he needed to get rid of the excess of energy the drugs he ingested gave him. Another manic laugh escaped him. His shaggy hair came in front of his eyes. He looked and acted crazy. He pointed his bony fingers at Adam again. 

“It took me a while to see it, but holy shit, you are the biggest liar I’ve ever met. And I’m me.” 

Then he came over and got right into Adam’s face. He could see his reflection in the glassy voids that were Kavinsky’s eyes. He smiled, showing off his yellowed and decaying teeth. Adam turned his head away from it and shut his eyes. Kavinsky grabbed him by the jawline and made him face his way.

“I know your secret, Changeling. In fact, you are not a changeling at all. You weren’t raised by mortals. You were raised by solitary sidhe exiles. The very ones the Greywaren’s father had banished for staging a coup, before I had the idea to.” 

He laughed in Adam’s face. “Oh if Ronan ever found out, he’d kill you right then and there.” 

Adam shook his head vehemently. Kavinsky nodded with the same vigor. 

“Oh yes he would. You’ve been lying about who you are since the beginning. If there is one thing Ronan hates, it’s liars. His own spouse, a solitary sidhe exile, masquerading as a social fae of Cabeswater and right into the Greywaren’s favor. I don’t know what you did to pull that off, but oh, I wish I learnt it first.”

“We both know what living in exile feels like, don’t we? Is that why you wanted to kill me so bad the first time around?” 

Kavinsky shook his head and held his hands up like Adam would be able to answer anyway. Kavinsky was just having a conversation with himself at this point. “Oh, don’t answer that.” 

Adam rolled his eyes so hard he thought they would fall right out of his head. 

“We are both solitary fae at our cores. The only difference between you and I, is that you want to hide who you are, and you are good at it. But there is no reason to hide here.” 

Kavinsky then snapped his fingers. The sound echoed louder than natural in the cave. The fire flared upwards, and it burned  and ripped the clothes Adam was wearing at the gala. He watched as it turned from the light green and into burnt oranges and blood reds; the colors of solitary sidhe. 

He had a predatory grin. “Fooling Ronan is easy; but you can’t hide from one of your own.”

Adam watched as he bent down and grabbed another piece of cloth and then tied it over his eyes, encapsulating Adam in complete darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand there it is. More secrets unlocked, and shit just keeps getting more complicated doesn't it? But that is all part of the fun of writing this story! 
> 
> Hope you all liked it as much as I like writing it! As always comments and kudos are always highly encouraged and appreciated by yours truly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Hey there! I'm back with another chapter for this fic! I managed to write all 5,100 words in one sitting today, as it is my only day off for some time. 
> 
> This chapter has taken a while to come to fruition, but writing takes time! Fun fact, I wrote the entire outline for this chapter on Disney World blank receipts while I was working and in some serious downtime because Epcot is in its slow season right now lol. So that's something. 
> 
> I hope you all like this chapter! Enjoy! 
> 
> This is also not beta'd or edited, so all mistakes are mine (which are probably tense changes because that is my downfall).

They all made their way back to the throne room. Ronan was thankful that the dark room had been unharmed in the aftermath of the fight between two powerful figures. It was still dark and spacious with the glass table and chasm that allowed the smoke to fill the chamber. 

The three leaders briskly made their way over to the center where they sat down. Maura turned around, her purple and silver garments nearly melting together with the dark room. She beckoned the Princess over, her yellow and orange garments standing out garishly. She nodded her head like she knew what to do and sat herself down between her mother and Persephone. 

The Prince and Ronan stood off the side, observing. The Prince had a curious glance on his face. His hazel eyes were narrowed and he was running his thumb absently over his lower lip. He seemed pensive. Ronan was more interested in watching the Prince than the leaders do their witchcraft. The Prince noticed Ronan staring after a while, and then leaned in closer to him. 

“What is it that makes Blue so important for these readings?” he asked. 

Ronan looked down at the Prince with an incredulous stare on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking back at the four women. Maura and Persephone were holding the Princess’s hand tightly. 

“You are married to her, and yet you don’t know what power she possesses?” Ronan inquired back. 

Even he knew of Blue’s power. He could sense it coming off of her in waves. The Prince may have been mortal, but he was no ordinary mortal, that much Ronan could tell. If aren’t powerless if you were born to Vulpea royalty, even if you didn’t get the same gift of Sight. 

The Prince seemed surprised to hear of such a thing and shook his head. Ronan just arched an eyebrow in response. He glanced at the Princess, her head bare of the yellow garment, but covered in wonderful gold and silver hair pieces to keep it in place. Her eyes were shut tightly, and her face was pinched in concentration. He looked back at the Prince who had a lovestruck expression looking at his wife. He could see that it was true love between the two of them and not just a marriage out of political need. 

“She is a mirror, she amplifies the powers of others. Having her in the room, allows the leaders to have a better scope to read,” Ronan curtly explained. 

The Prince took it all in stride. “Even now, I’m still learning about the mystical and magical. Cardiff isn’t exactly known for it, which is what made the marriage between the two of us so scandalous.” 

“You were not arranged?” Ronan asked, interested suddenly. 

The Prince shook his head again. This time he had a small smile on his face, a secret one. Like he was proud of whatever thought was in his mind. It was the smile of someone who did something rebellious and they knew it. Ronan garnered a new found respect for the Prince of Cardiff. 

“Not in the way you or others would think. I had met Blue on a diplomatic trip to Vulpea. Mostly to save face for my parents and our crest. We did not get along well at first, me always putting my foot in my mouth, and her always calling me out on it. But she had a fire, something I had not seen in any other Princess I had met as potential spouses. She had a personality, and she was real, authentic. Didn’t hide behind the title she had, and used it for good. Something I wanted to do the same of, but never quite had the courage to do. I knew then that she was the one I wanted to marry. 

We courted in secret for a few months. Then I asked her to marry me and had to break the news to my parents. Her mother was suspicious but accepted. My parents were not as much. So I had to spin it into a political reasoning to get them to accept,” he explained. 

Ronan found it interesting. “It seems to me that marrying someone you loved instead of bending to the will of politics is in its different way, not hiding behind a title. Your wife holds a different type of royalty, one that is steeped in the traditions of the common folk. Something to be admired.” 

“Yours and Adam’s marriage wasn’t arranged was it?” Gansey wondered. 

Ronan sharply turned his attention to the Prince at his usage of Adam’s name. Gansey seemed to realize a slip-up. 

“Sorry, the Magician,” he corrected hastily. 

It was Ronan’s turn to shake his head. “We don’t believe in arranged marriages. We have no one we have to gain allies with, as we mostly stand alone. Instead, we have dream bonds. You meet a person in your dreams, and that person is the one who is destined to be with you for eternity. I dreamt of him years before I had even met him. So when I finally did, I knew it was him, and him for me.” 

“How interesting. The fae really are a magnificent species, so much  _ more _ than humans,” the Prince commented. 

He almost sounded wistful; like he wished he were one of them instead of being human, with all his privileges. The Prince really was something to behold, especially among the other humans Ronan had met over the years, few and far between they are. All these humans that had come into Cabeswater what felt like an eternity ago were different. A peculiar court they made. 

He watched as the Princess’s eyes snapped open. She let out a gasp like she had run all the way across Vulpea. The two other members of her court, Henry and Noah, and the Prince all ran after to see if she was alright. The Princess just bat their worries away with her flapping hand. Ronan hesitantly came up towards the center of the throne room.

Each of the leaders had a frustrated look on their faces. Eyebrows were pinched from Maura, a nasty scowl was over Calla’s, and Persephone only let out a deep sigh to show her discontent. 

“What happened?” he demanded. 

“Something is blocking our sight,” Calla growled. 

“So this was a waste of time then?” Ronan bit. 

The knot in his chest only seemed to constrict more, as more time passed by with nothing on how to find Adam. 

Declan’s words from earlier that very night haunted Ronan now. 

_ You are more vulnerable in the mortal world than in Cabeswater. _

For all the shit he gave his older brother, Ronan knew he still knew things that Ronan would never fathom. He should have never come in the first place. He should’ve stayed home, convinced Adam to do so too, and none of this would have ever happened. They could have been happily riding their horses through the forest, and watching the sun rise over their kingdom together. They wouldn’t be separated with an old enemy and ghost of Ronan’s bleak past holding the love of his life hostage. 

Everyone was chatting among themselves now. Trying to come up with a plan of action, but no one was agreeing on anything. The noise annoyed him. He didn’t have time for their squabbles over his husband, his Magician. 

He had an idea for a next step, but he loathed to share it with them. No matter how close they were to Adam. It was his ability that was the best-kept secret about Cabeswater and the Greywaren title. But Ronan was desperate enough to show them. 

“Fuck’s sake. Watch out,” Ronan growled. 

He made his way over to a corner in the room and laid down. A shiver went up his back as it hit the cold marble floor but he forced himself to close his eyes. 

“What are you doing?” the Princess demanded. 

“Something fucking useful, now be quiet,” he commanded. 

Ronan allowed the scents of incense and other herbs surround him. He forced himself to relax, and think about the Aether, the Dream World, the original Cabeswater. Then Ronan felt the familiar pull of him leaving the mortal world into the mystical. 

 

* * *

 

Ronan sat up. He was in the clearing that he always entered when he came to dream. The trees of Cabeswater hummed with approval and praise and welcome for their Greywaren. They talked in the language of dreams that he only understood.

_ Receperint retro, Greywaren _ , they whispered. He felt a summer breeze blow by, the sun shining down. 

This dreamscape, the reason the Kingdom of Cabeswater has its name, and why Ronan even holds the title of Greywaren. The trees were the ones to originate it when they welcomed his grandfather into their world and bestowed upon him the gift of dream. And then his father had abused it, and Ronan was the one that had to make amends. 

He pushed himself from the ground to his feet. He was barefoot as he always was, and he felt the soft grass between his toes. The scent of pines and flowers filled his senses, and Ronan closed his eyes and inhaled it deeply. 

_ Placere adiuva nos _ , the trees told him. Help them. The noise was more urgent. It wasn’t the soft whispers that filled Ronan’s thoughts. 

As he stood there, he suddenly felt something change in the atmosphere. Where the place had been warm and welcoming, he now felt cold and...in danger. The trees moaned in response, the branches bending more with the gust of wind that came ripping through. But then as quick as it came, it was gone again. 

Ronan did not like that. He looked up into the deep green foliage of the towering trees. 

“Quid est tibi fieri?” he asked. What is happening? 

The trees only let out another wail.  _ Aliosque spiritus malignos!  _ Evil spirits! 

Ronan let that sink in for a moment. Then he started to walk away. He wanted to find Adam. Sometimes Adam was able to follow Ronan into his dreams. It did not happen often, and really only when they were both actively trying. Ronan hoped Adam had the same idea, as it was the only way Ronan could think of communicating while being separated. He prayed that he would find Adam. 

_ Magi! _ The trees celebrated. Magician. 

Ronan felt his face break out into a grin. Adam had found Ronan. He started to run through the clearing, over the deep roots of the trees. The trees were elated that their protector was there. 

“Adam, you brilliant fucker,” he muttered to himself. 

The rustles and whispers of the trees got louder the more Ronan ran. He was close to Adam, he could feel it. The energy of the dream world and ley line hummed under his feet. This was how Adam always felt, Ronan, wondered. 

Suddenly, Adam emerged from the shadows of the trees. Ronan felt a surge of relief flood him as he ran to Adam and engulfed him in a hug. Adam reciprocated it, and Ronan buried his head into his golden hair. It still smelled like jasmine, which nearly brought him to tears. It had been less than a day, but Ronan assumed the worst. 

“You’re alive,” he breathed out.

He felt Adam nod his head. “You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he muttered. 

Ronan let go, and a wet chuckle came out of him. But when he finally got a good look at Adam, it was not something he wanted to see. He looked battered, and well like he had just gotten out of a battle. He was sporting a nasty black eye over his left side, and cuts covered his face. 

He felt a surge of rage come over him. No one was to hurt Adam, he did not deserve any of it. Adam’s blue eyes softened as he read Ronan’s expression, no doubt. Adam put a soft hand onto his cheek and rubbed his thumb gently. The touch of Adam immediately simmered any kind of anger. Out of instinct, Ronan’s eyes fluttered shut, before he opened them again. He wanted to take Adam in every second he had. Because he knew he did not have long, not in the dreamscape, not when the clock was ticking towards getting Adam back to safety. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Adam reassured, reading Ronan’s mind. 

Ronan looked at his face again. 

“You were always good at hiding your pain,” he sighed. 

A small grimace marked Adam’s face for a moment before he let go of Ronan’s cheek. A cool breeze filled in the empty space where his hand was and Ronan missed it already. So Ronan instead put his hands on Adam’s shoulders. 

“Where are you?” he asks. 

Adam let out a sigh of his own. His fair brows were pinched together. “In a cave somewhere. It is hard to pinpoint an exact location, but I have a feeling it is in the Borderlands.” 

The Borderlands, the place between the mortal world and Cabeswater. It was a place that went undisputed because of the lack of order that went there. It was where exiles and criminals went to live when nowhere else wanted them. It would make complete sense for Kavinsky to find himself in the caves and mountains of that desolate place. 

“You know that for sure?” 

Adam looked down for a moment. “Not for sure. But I have a good feeling about it. It is the only logical place. I used some,” he paused for a moment, “unconventional ways of scrying to hone a radius, but it’s like my signal is being blocked somehow. Kavinsky has a block on all my other powers.” 

Ronan felt bewildered. “How is that possible?” 

Adam’s eyes flashed for a moment, showing the fear he felt. “He made a deal with a demon.” 

He shook his head like he couldn’t believe it. “All he wants is revenge, Ronan. He wants you to come to him so he can kill me in front of you. That is all he wants. Don’t give him the satisfaction,” he warned. 

Ronan felt slapped by the implication behind Adam’s words. “You don’t want me to find you?” he sputtered. 

“You find me, he gets what he wants. You’ll be safer away from me, and then he’ll go away.” 

Ronan scoffed, but it came out harsh. “He’ll kill you either way then. I can’t risk you dying, Adam. You know that. Without you, I’m no one but some boy king with too much responsibility. We shoulder it together, that is what you promised me when you married me.” 

It had been part of their vows. They shoulder life together, or not at all. Ronan would not lose his other half because he was being a stubborn idiot. Adam grit his teeth and hissed between it. He ran a hand through his hair, which was matted and dirty. 

“Damn you, Ronan,” he muttered, but it lacked any heat. 

Adam stepped forward and gently open Ronan’s hands, which had been clenched. His rough fingers felt warm in his own. Then he felt Adam put something into his palms before clasping them back. He held Ronan’s hand for a long moment, pausing to look Ronan in the eyes before he let go. His blue eyes were bright in the darkness of the dreamscape. 

“Use this to find me,” he instructed. His voice was soft but firm. 

Ronan opened his hands and he saw a red cloth within them. The red cloth was extremely faded. The color had been drained out from exposure no doubt. It was also made of a rough texture; Ronan suspected a cheap fabric that peasants used for themselves, wool probably. Though it was rough in his hands, the fabric was also thin, another sign of age and use. The fabric was ripped, like it had been torn off forcibly, and had burn marks and holes speckling it. Ronan had to wonder where Adam had gotten it from. 

“What is this?” he asked, looking back up at Adam. 

Adam shook his head, his golden hair falling over his face. “Don’t worry about that right now. Just know that this will lead you to me,” he reassured. 

Ronan found that response suspicious. Adam had that blank look on his face that Ronan knew all too well; it was the face of Adam hiding a secret. But Ronan didn’t have time to argue with him. His top priority was to find him first. The argument and conversation would have to wait for later. He had to believe that he would find him. It was the only thing that was keeping his energy alive.

“How am I supposed to do that?” he asked. 

“You’ll find a way,” he said, in that cryptic tone he sometimes took on when he was in full Magician mode. 

Adam stepped up again and clasped his hand over Ronan’s. He stared at Ronan, unflinchingly. 

“Ronan, feel this, memorize it and wake up,” he demanded. 

And he did. 

 

* * *

 

Ronan woke up. His eyes were open, but he was stuck in the sleep paralysis that always came after he brought something back from the dreamscape. From his peripheral, he could see everyone else in the room watching him with worry, confusion, curiosity, among other expressions.

The blonde man, Noah, came up to Ronan, and was leaning right over him, his pale features pinched. 

“Is he dead?” he whispered, horror-laced into his tone. “What happened?” 

Henry, trotted up next to Noah, putting a hand on his back. Something Ronan perceived as closely intimate. 

“No, he’s breathing, look,” he said as he pointed to his chest that was moving up and down.

A minute later the paralysis wore off, and Ronan gasped sitting straight up. Noah and Henry jumped back, a startled look on both their faces. Everyone else then took it as their cue to come forward. 

He looked down at his hand that was clenched so tightly his knuckles were stretching his skin and turning white. Then he released it, the red cloth Adam had given him fell out of his palm and into his lap. 

“What is that?” the Princess pointed. She immediately bent down and scooped it up, putting it close to her face to look at. 

Ronan stood up and grabbed it back out of her hands, strangely protective of it. She looked on the verge of arguing but was stopped by Maura. 

“Something we’re going to find the Magician with,” he curtly explained. 

The Prince decided to step up. He looked closely at the red cloth and inquisitive look on his face. “Where did you get this? It was not here when you...fell asleep.” 

Ronan sighed. It was time to rip the truth out from underneath him. Better to get it over with than wait any longer. “The Magician gave it to me. I can take things out of my dreams.” 

He saw Calla’s eyebrows raise, in the closest thing he had ever seen to impressed on her face. Her arms were crossed over her red dress, so much more vibrant than the cloth in his hands. 

“No shit,” is what she said with a huff. 

Gansey’s jaw dropped for a moment before he seemed to realize it and he fixed his composure. “I thought that ability was only legend?” 

“Until a few weeks ago you thought Cabeswater was just a legend too,” Blue sniped. 

He turned his attention to his wife for a moment. “Not true. I had a firm belief in it. You know as well as I that it is one of the things that unfortunately exacerbates my family to no end.” 

“Well, it’s fucking true. I go into a dreamscape, which is where Cabeswater and my title come from. I can pull it into the mortal realm if I can feel it, and imagine it to be real in my hands and in the dreamscape. The Magician can sometimes come in with me, and he did. We talked. Then he gave me this and told me to figure it out.” 

“Every time I think I know more about the world of magic, I seem to know less,” Henry observed quaintly. 

Ronan scoffed. “Get fucking used to it,” he told him, silently agreeing. 

Even Ronan didn’t know the half of it, it seemed. There was just so much he didn’t know, and will probably die never knowing. And he had accepted that. It was Adam who was always looking for more, always wanting more. 

Persephone then came up. It always seemed like she floated through the air, though fae didn’t have a lot of flight powers. It was very limited. While Ronan had dreamt, a storm came rushing into Vulpea it seemed. The pounding of rain could be heard in the echoing chamber. A flash of lightning emerged from one of the only windows in the room. In that flash, Ronan caught a glimpse of the shadow of invisible wings behind Persephone. They were large, and shaped like a butterfly’s. Ronan knew his looked more like a raven’s. Every fae had a different set of wings unique to them, but was invisible to most, and only seen when wanted by other fae. 

She gently took the cloth from Ronan, and he let her. Her black irises were full of curiosity and infinite wisdom. She raised it up to her nose and sniffed it before letting out a humming noise from her pursed lips. Then a wispy smile formed. 

“Oh Adam,” she whispered. Then she turned around towards the center of the room. Everyone just looked at her. But Persephone did not seem to care. 

“Greywaren, where is that familiar of yours?” she asked with her back to him.  

Ronan turned his attention towards the Prince. His bird was all the way back in Cardiff, waiting for that stupid treaty that didn’t even matter anymore. 

“She’s in Cardiff,” he said, making sure he didn’t look away from the Prince. 

The Prince had the audacity to not even look miffed about it. The fucking nerve. Persephone only nodded her head. 

“Well call here, then. She will be needed for this.” 

“Cardiff is a good week’s travel away from Vulpea,” Noah observed. 

Ronan rolled his eyes. “She a fucking magical raven.” 

Then he put his fingers into his mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle that caused everyone in the room, except him to finch and cover their ears. It reminded Ronan of Adam and his hatred for Ronan’s call whistle. 

_ You wanna make me deaf in both ears, asshole?  _ Was often a common insult after.  

Magic was stupid, and picky and didn’t make sense a lot of the time, and Ronan was glad for that fact now. Not five minutes later, a familiar  _ KERAH! _ Echoed and sitting in the lone window was his familiar raven. Ronan let a smile break out as he walked over and held his arm out. She yelled at him again, probably for leaving her behind for so long, before flying and perching on his arm and walking up it to nuzzle his cheek in forgiveness.

“Can you talk to animals?” the Princess wondered. 

“Don’t be a fucking idiot. Of course not,” Ronan responded still happy and elated to have his familiar back with him. He had missed her.

Persephone waved her hand, gesturing for Ronan to come forth. “Perfect. Now we can start.” 

Ronan walked over. “How’s that?” 

“Your familiar here will be able to track the Magician with this cloth.” 

“Explain more,” he demanded. 

If he offended her, she didn’t let it show. This woman was a wispy as a cloud. Nothing fazed her. 

“This cloth, it belongs to him. It has his scent marked on it. Your raven here can lock on to it, and lead you back to him.” 

He looked down at his raven, who looked back at him. He nodded his head towards Persephone. 

“Go on then,” he prompted the raven. She let out a squawk before hopping down his arm and grabbing the cloth between her beak and flying out the window.  

 

* * *

 

Adam woke up from the dream. He shut his eyes tightly, black spots still dancing across his vision. That is what he got for staring at the fire for so long. Scrying into light was not his ideal method, but he really had no other choice in the matter. He had managed to wiggle the cloth off his eyes enough for him to see. He was just glad to know that he was able to give something to Ronan to find him with. He had hope that Ronan would figure it out. Ronan was so much smarter than he gave himself credit for.

When he opened them again, he saw Kavinsky hovering over him. The dying embers elongating his shadows on his face. He looked even worse than how he remembered him. A grin was pulled across his face, stretching the skin too thinly on his face, making him look ghoulish and skeletal all at the same time. The grin was oozing poison, and it made Adam vaguely uncomfortable. Not that he would show it to Kavinsky of all people. 

He didn’t say anything for a moment. His black eyes just staring into Adam’s. The silence was so tense he could practically feel it in his bones. His body ached with the pulsing of the ley line, but the darkness that Kavinsky possessed was leaking its way into the energy making Adam jumpy. 

Then Kavinsky bent down and pulled Adam up by the bonds on his wrists. They had started to chafe horribly, causing Adam to wince. He had lost feeling in his hands, and he knew if it lasted any longer he would be in trouble. He was pulled into a sitting up position. Kavinsky then came over and did a thorough frisk of Adam, searching for something amiss on him. Adam had purposefully chosen that piece of cloth to give Ronan because it was insubstantial. The red and orange clothes he wore were already ripped and burned. Another missing piece wouldn’t mean anything. When Kavinsky finished he eyed Adam like he saw him in a different light somehow. He yanked the gags off his forehead and mouth, freeing Adam. He opened his jaw up and down to stretch it, feeling the soreness seep through the sides of his mouth from disuse for so long. Then he sat down across from Adam, the same position they had been in earlier. 

He snapped his fingers. Adam felt a shiver run down his spine. “I underestimated your power,” he admitted. 

Adam waited for him to continue. Kavinsky nodded to himself like he agreed with whatever thoughts were running rampant in his head. “I see why Ronan is attracted to you. You have this, animalness about you. This fire that you try too hard to douse but can never fully get all the embers out.” 

“Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?” Adam asked. Relieved that he could use his voice again. It sounded scratchy from being stolen for so long. 

Kavinsky smirked at him. “You can take that however you want, changeling.”

Just for the sake of it, Adam tried to move his hands from the bond. But with little success. Instead, a wave of numbness and the buzzing of it swept up his arms, making them limp and lethargic and useless. Adam felt a surge of anger at that. He hated feeling useless. He grit his teeth so hard he was afraid they would fall out. Kavinsky smirked. 

“What are you going to do with me while you wait? It’ll take at least a few days for him to find us?” Adam taunted. 

Kavinsky wagged his finger. “Funny you mention it, Changeling. I have other plans for you. In the meantime, I’m going to corrupt you into being the true solitary sidhe you were destined to be. You can’t hide from it any longer.” 

Adam scoffed. “You sound absurd. How would you even plan on doing that?” 

“That is the golden question isn’t it?” 

He then stood up and stoked the flames of the fire more. The heat of it caused Adam to lean back away. Kavinsky cooed. “Don’t be so afraid of it. You were born from fire, and you will perish by it as well I’m sure.” 

“I wouldn’t be making such predictions,” Adam warned. “I see it is much more likely for you than me.” 

Kavinsky shrugged like he didn’t have a care in the world. Perhaps he didn’t. What would he be living for anyway? Adam had a hard time imagining anything. All he wanted was to see Ronan suffer one more time. But Adam would never let him allow that to come to fruition. Not as long as he could help it. 

“I wouldn’t be against it. At least it will be in a blaze of glory,” he smirked like he thought he said the funniest joke in the world. “But you see, Changeling, the way I plan on corrupting you, is simply, by the demon.” 

“The demon you struck a deal with?” he asked. 

“Aren’t you so smart?” 

Adam felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Demons were nasty things to deal with, and hard to get rid of. Kavinsky didn’t seem to care what he had gotten himself into. 

“You are absolutely insane,” he spat. 

His black eyes reflected the little inferno in front of them, making him hellish. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he sneered. It was one of the only reactions he had gotten from Kavinsky that showed his anger instead of hiding it behind snark and sarcasm. 

“This will not end well for you at all,” he told Kavinsky again. But it was preaching to deaf ears. 

Kavinsky shrugged again. “I don’t give a shit. I only care about fucking Ronan over one more time, like he did for me. With  _ you _ . The demon said it’d help me, so I accepted it. Here are some answers for you, Changeling,” he goaded. 

Adam’s sense of dread was only building up. “The demon is the one who wants to drain the ley line. And I figured the fastest way to getting it was to head to the source itself--Cabeswater, and through its protector. The Magician. Which happens to be  _ you _ .” 

Adam shook his head. “Don’t do this, you piece of shit!” he yelled. 

Then suddenly Adam became overwhelmed with more dread. Then came a wave of nausea that Adam had only felt truly one time, so long ago in his youth. A ringing in his ears and head echoed with the phantom memory. Bitterness and envy and every other horrible, disgusting and vile emotion he had ever harbored made its way to the forefront of his mind. 

Behind the ringing, he heard Kavinsky cackle, “too late.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! I'm sorry but also not really about all the angst. You gotta get through it to see that happy ending. I enjoy taking various parts of the canon and weaving it into this fun fantasy world. It fits pretty well with everything! 
> 
> I try to fit Henry and Noah more into this narrative because I feel like I've pushed them onto the back burner :( but I did not forget they exist I promise. Also, excuse the shitty latin, I used google translate only. Whoops. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed it! As always comments and kudos are always appreciated and loved by me, so please drop some for me! 
> 
> Thanks again!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and this story has not been abandoned! I love it too much to do that. But yeah it's been quite some time since the last update and from the bottom of my heart, I say to you: my bad. But life has been insane and I barely have time to do anything for myself. but alas spring break is upon me so I was able to finally be reunited with my writing journal I had left at home and write out the chapter based on the outline I had written out in December! 
> 
> I also got an ask on tumblr about when I was gonna update, and I basically just shrugged and said who knows. Well to that anon, here ya are! 
> 
> This chapter is definitely on the shorter side (4100 words) compared to others but a lot happens. Alas, there is no Adam in this chapter, but he is the topic of choice for most of it. I hope you like it because I had fun writing it. 
> 
> Also not beta'd or edited so all mistakes are mine. (most likely tense problems. It is also midnight my time and I wrote it in one sitting)

With Ronan’s raven taking flight, they all made haste to get their horses to chase after the bird. When the left the castle, or what was left of it rather, the storm was still raging outside. Ronan covered his head with his arms, but it was useless. The rain still soaked right through to his bones. 

Ronan is the first to reach the stables and nearly kicks the doors off their hinges. The stable boy who was inside, yelped at the sudden noise, startled to see Ronan. Ronan did not have time to deal with the stable boy and pushes him roughly out of the way. Blue follows closely on his heels to her own horse. He could hear the Prince apologizing to the stable boy for scaring him. Henry and Noah are sharing a laugh at the poor boy’s misfortune. Ronan’s black stallion bucked in his displeasure of the noise, but also glad to see a familiar face finally. Ronan went up to him to stroke his snout to calm him down. 

“We must find Adam,” he whispered to him 

Ronan glanced at the others who were also reuniting with their own steeds. Next to Ronan’s was the familiar brown and white coat of Adam’s Appaloosa mare. It was obvious she was distressed at not seeing her owner. Perhaps she could sense that Adam was in danger somehow. Ronan wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. Ronan went to soothe her quickly and apologize. She would have to be kept here for the meantime because she did not have a rider, and they could not afford to take her with them for time’s sake. 

He went back and quickly swung the lightweight saddle on top of his stallion. Though he normally rode bareback, he had come into Vulpea with a saddle and knew he would be thankful he rode on one later. This would not be a quick race through Cabeswater. Though he wished it were. Climbing on his stallion was like second nature. His legs fit perfectly into place and the reins in his hands were like a second skin. 

Ronan was the first one on and ready to get a move on. Blue was already up on her pinto waiting for the rest of the men to join her. Noah and Henry were up next, and then it was just the Prince they were waiting on. 

The sorrel mare that belonged to the Prince was seemingly being stubborn about being ridden. No matter how the Prince tried, the mare refused to be saddled, which if this were any other situation, Ronan would have found amusing. But time was of the essence and he could not wait for the stubborn mare. 

Ronan rode towards the sorrel mare and placed his hand on her snout. He closed his eyes and let the magic of Cabeswater flow through his energy and to the horse. Thoughts of calm water and gentle breezes came to Ronan and onto the horse. The mare snorted but became calm enough for the Prince to swing himself onto the saddle on her back. The mare did not look pleased but allowed it. And just for kicks, she bucked up, causing the Prince to squawk in alarm. 

The stable boy was still with them, his green eyes wide in shock. Ronan trotted towards the boy and pointed a finger at him. He made sure to level his most intimidating glare. By coincidence, and in his favor, thunder boomed behind him and then a stroke of lightning came after, allowing for the intimidation factor to be amplified. The boy was practically quivering. 

“You best make sure that mare is taken care of with the best quality, and kept in perfect condition until we return to fetch her,” he warns, “you hear?” 

The boy’s brown hair which is now wet from the rain outside was plastered across his forehead. He nodded his head. 

“Yes sir,” he stuttered. 

Ronan grunts in approval and nods once. He then turned back to his comrades. “Let’s get a move on.” 

He flicked the reins and his stallion bolted out of the stable. The pounding of the other’s horses’ hooves echoing against the pounding of the rain. The dirt roads that led travelers to and from the many kingdoms was turning into a mud trail. Ronan would have to be careful about not getting his horse injured. In the distance, he heard his raven calling for him, and it sounded like she had begun to lose her patience with him. As if she was saying:  _ what took you so long? _

“Fucking bird,” he muttered to himself. 

The raven was flying south, which was heading towards Cabeswater. Ronan quickly recognized this path as the normal route back to the heart of his kingdom. He found that peculiar because he knew for a fact that Adam was not back home. He would have been able to feel it if he was. 

He did not know how long they were riding through the storm for. It could have been hours, or it could have been days. The dark thunderclouds blocked the sky from view, keeping the light out. The roads were all but abandoned and would be for the coming days until the flooding recedes and the roads become hard enough to ride on again. These summer storms often disrupted society and trade with one another for days, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. 

Every now and then he would hear his raven shout back at him. Just to make sure he was still following her lead. Even if the slivers of doubt were following his thoughts, Ronan knew enough to trust her. She was a magic raven, taken straight from inside Ronan’s head as a child. She was created to serve Ronan, and now Adam too. They were interconnected to one another. This had to be what Adam meant when he said to find him. And even Persephone said so. He had to put faith in his companion to find his love. 

Suddenly, he saw the shadow of his raven veer sharply off the path. Ronan had to tug on the reins of his horse harshly to turn them in the same direction. Ronan, with all his expertise on riding, nearly fell off his stallion making the turn. He quickly glanced back to make sure everyone else was still behind. Ronan was pleased to see that the horses were still able to keep up with his. 

He found himself on another dirt road, but this one has been less taken. The dirt was less developed and stomped on, making it a more bumpy and treacherous road. By this time, the rain had stopped, but the clouds still lingered menacingly, making sure to show they were not leaving soon. Soon his stallion slowed down to a trot, not that Ronan blamed him. It was time to give some rest for the horses so they wouldn’t keel over from exhaustion. His raven seemed to have slowed down as well. 

Ronan looked around at his surroundings, wondering why this place looked familiar to him. Ahead, was a forest, but not the kind Ronan knew from Cabeswater. The forest coming towards them let out energy that made a shiver crawl up his spine. Then he recognized it. He let in a sharp gasp. 

“I do not like the look of that forest up ahead,” Blue commented. 

Her horse had come up next to his left, and the Prince to his right. Noah and Henry were slightly behind the two of them. Ronan looked at all of them and saw they had wary expressions written on their faces.

The Prince’s eyebrows were pinched together and he looked over towards Ronan. His hazel eyes recognizing something in his. 

“Do you know this place?” he asked. 

“Exile Row,” Ronan responded. 

They all looked at Ronan at the same time. They all had various degrees of shocked looks on their faces. Blue glanced forward for a moment before going back to Ronan. 

“This is Exile Row?” she said. Ronan nodded. 

“What is Exile Row?” Gansey asked, his head cocked to the side. 

“It’s a very dangerous place for mortals to enter, and it’s not exactly safe for my kind either. It was the place where my grandfather, the first Greywaren, sent the enemies of the kingdom before the Borderlands.” 

Noah gasped and leaned forward to look at Ronan. His gray eyes were wide. The man was practically trembling on his horse. “Do you have a death wish?” 

Ronan shook his head. This place was the setting of cautionary tales told by his parents as a child. He knew the place was real, but it had been abandoned and left alone for decades. He had never laid eyes on it or dared to go there, but Ronan knew it was Exile Row. It was a feeling that settled deep in his gut. Only people who had a death wish went in at their own will and at the mercy of the horrors that lay beyond. Even Ronan in his more troubled youth years, before Adam, would never have dreamed of coming here. He didn’t think Kavinsky would either, no matter how insane he was. But Ronan had been wrong before. 

Soon the forest was upon them. As they crossed the border into it, Ronan felt the power of the ley line shift underneath him. The energy was fizzled, and it felt wrong. It felt corrupted somehow. 

Unlike Cabeswater, which is hidden through the canopy of thick trees that tower into the sky, the forest that made up Exile Row is hidden in shadows. The trees that made up this forest tower as high as the ones in his kingdom. It seems as if they could touch the clouds and the sky above them. But the trees here are ominous. They are not filled with the thick foliage that shifts endlessly between the vibrant pink blooms of spring, the spirited greens of summer or the passionate oranges, reds, and yellows of autumn in Cabeswater. 

The trees in Exile Row are doomed to remain in winter. The branches of these trees remain bare, with the leaves long turned to brown and dirt where they lay on the floor. As they continue through, going deeper into a land they are not meant to be in, Ronan notices more trees that are seemingly dead. Some have been chopped at the stump, while others are filled with rot and hollowed out. Some even looked like they were burned in a fire. The stench of rotten wood and mildew was overpowering at some points. It was completely silent as they continued on, no animals to designate that life could thrive in a place like this. Which Ronan figured was the point of putting your enemies here. A place where they were not meant to survive, but die. Ronan could feel the dread pricking at all the points in his body. He did not belong here, and the forest was making sure he got the signals. 

“Are you sure we should be going this way? This place is giving me very bad energy,” Blue asked finally. 

Her brown eyes were full of caution as she took in her surroundings. It did not go unnoticed how the Prince had moved his horse to be next to her’s. A husband looking out for his wife. And by the arched eyebrow, Blue gave to the Prince, it did not go unnoticed by her either. 

Ronan silently agreed with Blue. He did not like this place any more than they did. But the raven took them there, so it had to be. 

“If this is the way to the Magician, then so be it,” Ronan responded. His voice was barely above a whisper. He felt that if he spoke any louder, unwanted attention would come upon them. He would rather get through this place in one piece. 

Blue pursed her lips together like she was holding back a protest. They kept moving forward. Eventually, the raven took to hopping from tree branch to tree branch instead of outright flying. All the horses were now at a walking pace. 

They traveled in silence until the Prince broke it. “Noah, are you alright? You still seemed a bit frightened.”

The blond man shook his head and flicked his wrist. “Yeah, I mean this place is a bit eerie. I’ll be fine.” He had a bit of a waver in his tone. 

Blue shook her head. “Uh-uh. Oh no, I don’t think so. Noah, something’s bothering you and I’m not just gonna let you brush that shit off to the side,” she protested. 

Noah looked uncomfortable and still uneasy. Though Ronan wasn’t sure if it was just being in the forest anymore. Something inside was definitely bothering him. Henry who had come up next to Noah put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The blond man looked towards Henry. Henry’s eyes were soft and kind. 

“I think you can share now,” he said gently. 

Noah looked down at the ground before nodding his head. Ronan watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Do you see this scar on my face?” he finally asked. Ronan’s eyes wandered to the scar that took up most of Noah’s left side. It was like a permanent bruise. Ronan had noticed right away but never said anything. They all had their scars and their stories, and he knew how private and personal they could be. 

None of them answered, but Noah knew they were all thinking yes. He pushed forward after a moment. 

“I never really told anyone how I got it. But I received it on a mission with Whelk,” he admitted. 

Gansey and Blue gasped together. Ronan did not know who this Whelk man was, but obviously, he was a big deal. Henry looked like he knew the story already, but it still brought him pain to hear it again. 

The Prince and Princess whispered to one another. Ronan caught them saying how it was often forgotten that Noah was older than all of them. (Minus Ronan and Adam of course.) 

Noah nodded. “It seemed like a regular reconnaissance mission. But Whelk led us to Exile Row. At the time I didn’t know where he was leading us, I just followed him. He knew the lay of the land much better than myself. It was then he revealed his true self.” 

He paused, to try and get his thoughts together. “I can remember it clearly. His clothes he wore burned, but they were replaced with something else. The fabric was shredded and worn to thinness, and the colors were reds and burnt oranges and browns. He revealed himself as a solitary sidhe. And then he tried to kill me by smashing a rock onto my face and leaving me to die here.” 

Ronan felt gobsmacked by the revelation. And by the looks of the others, they were too. Even Henry had a shocked face on. He could not believe that a solitary sidhe would infiltrate a mortal kingdom. It did not make sense at all. 

“What in good heavens,” Gansey breathed. 

“How is Whelk still in the inner circles of my parents’ court?” he exclaimed. 

Blue bared her teeth. “I always knew there was something wrong with that bastard.” 

“The only reason I didn’t die here was because someone rescued me before death could grab me. I still don’t know who it was, and I don’t know how they saved me. It was so long ago now.” 

“How long?” Henry inquired. 

Noah shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Thirty years now?” 

Ronan felt his eyebrows arch. Noah was much older than he looked or let on it seemed. Today was just filled with surprises. 

“They nursed me back. I never got a good glimpse of their face, as they were glamouring it over. They would come in early and leave before the sun hit the zenith every day. But they did give me something to wipe the memory of the court...and for Whelk. So that’s what I did. That is why they never recognized me. I was able to start all over,” Noah explained. 

“My God,” Gansey gasped. He still seemed to be processing the whole thing. 

“I created a new mission for myself. I wanted to figure out what the solitary sidhe were up to. I have a working theory,” Noah continued. 

“And what is that?” Ronan asked. He was curious as to what the mortal had to say about the fae. 

“The solitary sidhe have sleeper agents in the mortal kingdoms. And in Cabeswater.” 

It felt like an electric current went up Ronan’s body. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood up straight. Ronan scoffed. 

“That is absolutely insane,” he dismissed. “I would know if there were solitary sidhe in my kingdom.” 

Noah’s gaze hardened. The gray of his irises turning to stone. He shook his head as they continued to ride into Exile Row. 

“Greywaren, you are underestimating their power,” Noah insisted. “I have good reason to be suspicious. And you should too.” 

Ronan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. From a mortal no less. Just because he had one horrible encounter with a solitary sidhe did not mean something was happening with all of them. 

“Think about what you are saying. They are  _ solitary _ sidhe. They do not work well with others, no less with themselves. It doesn’t make sense for them to meddle in mortal affairs,” Ronan bit back. 

Henry decided to put in his two cents. “I will say that it seems that your family and ancestors have made many enemies in the past. Perhaps it is not so crazy to think that these solitary sidhe are biding their time to exact revenge.” 

Ronan’s raven lets out a loud kerah! And removes herself from the branches of the bare and rotten trees to perch herself on Ronan’s shoulder. She yells into his ear. As if saying:  _ why are we going so slow? _ Ronan winced and glared at her. 

_ “ _ Fuck’s sake bird. Relax you little asshole.” 

Noah pointed at the piece of red cloth that is between her beak. The thing they were using to track Adam down and get him before Kavinsky does something horrible. His gray eyes look haunted. 

“Persephone said that this piece of cloth belonged to the Magician, and it has its scent on it. That you, Greywaren had even gotten it from in a dreamscape to track him down,” he pointed out. 

“What about it?” Ronan bit out. He did not like the train of thought coming from Noah. 

“Look at the color of it. I have seen this color before. It’s red, the color that belongs to the solitary sidhe. Whelk had the same color and it looks just as worn out as his clothes when he revealed himself to me all those years ago.” 

Ronan and Noah stare at each other. Ronan felt his eyes narrowing and he bared his teeth. Noah was standing steady in his accusation though. He arched his eyebrows and lifted his chin high. 

“Why would a cloth from a solitary sidhe have a claim on the Magician’s scent? Did you ever wonder that Greywaren?” He demanded. 

Ronan if fact did. He did not notice or realize until after he woke up from the dream what Adam was wearing. Why he had given him a red piece of cloth to find him. And when he asked Adam, he had brushed it off. Ronan knew he was hiding a secret from him. But he could not possibly find it in himself to believe that Adam was a solitary sidhe. He came from a family of exiles, abandoned to the mortal world as a changeling; wandering aimlessly until he came to Cabeswater and to Ronan. Was it all some kind of elaborate lie? Was Adam actually a sleeper agent that went so undercover that he became Cabeswater’s fucking  _ Magician _ ? It was leaving Ronan’s head spinning. He could not wrap his mind around the very possibility. It couldn’t be possible. But perhaps it could be. Ronan felt like the world was ripped up from under him. He even had Declan tricked. The man who thoroughly vetted every person that had come close to his family. Was Adam that powerful that he was able to somehow put a spell that even Declan couldn’t detect? Did Adam really even love Ronan, or was it just some elaborate ruse? Ronan felt like throwing up. He shook his head. Adam told him not to worry--and Ronan had to trust his magician. 

He turned to Noah and made sure to issue his most fiery glare. But Noah would not be intimidated by it. He read his silence like an open book. “Maybe...the Magician himself is a sleeper,”  he said softly. 

Ronan yanked the reins of his horse and lets out a growl towards Noah. Suddenly the temperature around them dropped to freezing and wind that had not been there before starts blowing. Noah still stood his ground. The others around were nervous around the two of them. Ronan could sense it. 

“You better never speak such ill will of my Magician ever again. I know for a fact that he would never do such a thing as betray me and Cabeswater. We swore a sacred oath on it.” 

He spoke with fervor but there was a sliver of doubt digging itself in the back of his mind. Did he really believe in the words he was speaking? He shook his head. Of course, he did. He loved Adam, and Adam loved him. They had been together for decades now. They had built a life together. 

Noah shook his head like he felt remorse. He let out a deep sigh. “I have encountered the Magician while we were both doing reconnaissance for our kingdoms,” Noah reminded everyone. 

“Just as the Magician had observed others, I kept my eyes on him as well. I had always known something was different about him. When he thought no one was looking he gave off signs of him being solitary.” 

“You lie,” Ronan accused. 

“No,” Noah responded gently. He shook his head. 

“Please listen to me. These signs, they were not obvious to the casual observer. They were  subconscience , natural.” 

Ronan refused to believe it. He just couldn’t. He shook his head in denial. Noah pushed on nonetheless. 

“You said it yourself. The Magician is a powerful sidhe. Perhaps the most powerful in this lifetime. Would it really be out of the realm of possibility that he was able to glamour himself so thoroughly it almost became permanent?” Noah pondered. 

Ronan just could not fathom it. “Why would he even do that? It just doesn’t make sense. To come up with such an elaborate lie. We are married, have been for decades. Longer than all of you have been alive. We built a life together, one we love and treasure. It wouldn’t make sense for him to play such a long game if he wasn’t looking for something else. He hates solitary sidhe,  _ loathes _ them. They are the enemy of our people. They are evil, despicable. My  _ husband _ , the Magician of Cabeswater is far from any of those things solitary sidhe are. To even think it, I can’t even begin to harbor the thought.” 

His heart felt heavy in his chest. Ronan could feel it pounding beneath him. Was this the beginning of the cracking of his heart? It could not be. Ronan refused. Adam would not do such a thing. He could not believe it because if he did, he would surely go insane in grief and anger. What kind of ruler would he be then? Not the one his people needed. 

“This is Kavinsky’s doing,” Ronan declared. He glared at all of them. He could see on their faces there was doubt about Adam. They were all believing Noah’s tale of lies. Ronan waved his arm to all of them. “He somehow tainted you all with these heinous thoughts.  _ Adam _ is not solitary sidhe.” 

Their eyes widened. Ronan realized after that he had said Adam’s true name in front of all of them. He could not bring it in himself to care at the moment. It was his job to protect Adam’s name when it was getting dragged through the mud like this. His husband would have done the same for Ronan. 

Noah only let out another sigh. Somehow it sounded sad. He had no right to feel sad about these accusations he let fly out of his mouth. He looked straight into Ronan’s eyes unflinching. 

“Do not let Kavinsky blind you. It is above you to be so naive, and he’s already waved the fire before your eyes once before and look where that got you,” Noah warned. 

The raven then took flight, and they continued on through Exile Row. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked it! Things got a little intense between Noah and Ronan. Whew. I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, because I gotta outline it first, and y'know...come up with ideas before I proceed with writing it out. Adult life/graduate school will be the front runner of my life before I can update. So I hope you are patient! 
> 
> As always comments and kudos are always appreciated by yours truly. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! I really had fun writing this, especially Adam posing as the Greywaren for Ronan. So reasoning for names in the chapter: Cardiff is the capital of Wales, so it seemed fitting for Gansey. Vulpea is taken from the word vulpes, which in Latin means Fox--Fox Way :) 
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated by me. My other stories are not forgotten. I'm just in the height of my semester at the moment and need to put school first. Thank you for reading!


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